


Graffiti Heart

by Elia41



Category: Subarashiki Kono Sekai | The World Ends With You, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: Bigotry & Prejudice, Brotherhood, Bullying, Crushes, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family, Friendship, Midoriya Izuku Has a Quirk, Multi, Musical References, Original Character(s), Pining, Quirk Discrimination (My Hero Academia), Secret Crush, Synesthesia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-12
Updated: 2020-09-01
Packaged: 2021-01-29 13:20:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 27
Words: 108,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21410827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elia41/pseuds/Elia41
Summary: From sound to color. From fear to courage. From sorrow to love. From loneliness to friendship, and more from there. From the streets to the sky in a storm of noise and light.No power is good or evil. It is what we do with them that makes them so.
Relationships: Aizawa Shouta | Eraserhead/Yamada Hizashi | Present Mic, Iida Tensei | Ingenium & Iida Tenya, Iida Tenya & Midoriya Izuku, Iida Tenya & Uraraka Ochako, Jirou Kyouka/Kaminari Denki, Kendou Itsuka & Monoma Neito, Kendou Itsuka & Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu, Kirishima Eijirou & Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu, Midoriya Inko/Yagi Toshinori | All Might, Midoriya Izuku & Uraraka Ochako, Midoriya Izuku/Shinsou Hitoshi
Comments: 198
Kudos: 526





	1. A storm of noise

Izuku had always dreamed of being a Hero. These dreams crashed down when his doctor diagnosed him Quirkless. The following two years were the worst of his life. People started looking down on him, pitying him for his state of powerlessness. His classmates laughed at him, calling him weak and helpless. His best friend, Katsuki Bakugo, became his worst bully. On top of this, there was a strange noise in his head that began soon after the diagnosis and kept growing in intensity over the passing months. A trip to the doctor told them what it was: tinnitus. A constant cacophony was ringing in Izuku’s head like a storm. One more woe to the list… He would have gladly worn headphones if Kacchan didn’t stop ruining them.

Then, one day, an incident happened. Izuku was trying to defend a student from Bakugo and his posse when the cacophony grew louder. His bully drew near. Izuku tried to keep his tear-filled eyes open as the storm in his head became all-consuming. Bakugo laughed, explosions coming from his hands. Izuku grimaced. This was going to hurt.

Notes seemed to ring louder than others. They were at the forefront of his head, wild and chaotic and loud. So loud, in fact, that they thrummed like they wanted to get out. The boy held a hand, seized the notes and, instinctively, arranged them in a melody he had heard some time ago. Static filled the air. It was brutal enough that Bakugo took several steps back. The boy blinked.

“Dafuq’s going on? Hey, Deku, what d’you think you’re doing!?”

He got his answer when the weirdest penguin he had ever seen appeared. It was white, with red graffiti-like wings and talons and a pair of yellow bolt-shaped eyebrows. The creature shrieked at them. Izuku fell on his knees and breathed. Somehow, his tinnitus seemed less invasive. He stood and looked at his creation. The penguin turned, gave him a nod and stood defensively before them. Bakugo’s posse hesitated.

“It looks… nasty.”

Bakugo scoffed.

“Took you long enough. It seems you’re not so Quirkless, after all, Deku. But you know what?”

An explosion erupted in his hand. Izuku braced himself and so did the penguin.

“It changes **nothing**.”

He armed a hand. The penguin went to his face and brutally slapped him, repeatedly, until the boy was rolling before his posse. The two boys looked at their leader, then at the penguin. After weighting their options, they decided to flee. Bakugo growled and rose. He readied an explosion… Izuku closed his eyes. There were notes ringing louder again. He took them, putting them together in a melody and _pushed_. A new creature appeared, a kind of purplish-grey porcupine with graffiti quills colored dark purple and neon green. The creature lost no time firing its quills at Bakugo with sniper-like precision, only missing because the boy dodged. The bully growled.

“Shitty Deku… What kinda power is that?”

Izuku panted. His head was aching like no tomorrows, but he endured. He glared at his rival.

“You won’t hurt us. I won’t let you.”

Much as he hated it, Bakugo had to admit the monsters looked too strong for him. He spat.

“You’ll regret that, Deku. I swear you will. Also, your monsters are ugly.”

Izuku massaged his head. He could really use a painkiller right now. The hedgehog turned to him and nudged him gently. The boy rubbed it. The texture was odd, a strange mix of fur, paint and paper. The little boy behind him looked at him with awe.

“That was awesome!”

Izuku embarrassedly thanked him. He headed home, ignoring the weird looks his monstrous partners elicited. Inko warmly greeted him.

“Welcome home, honey. How was school?”

Then she noticed the monsters. However, before she could ask, the penguin and porcupine vanished in bursts of static. Izuku looked at his mother, hands in his back.

“…Mom, I think I found my Quirk.”

He closed his eyes. This time, instead of waiting for the notes to thrum in his mind, he went fishing them in the cacophony. A song was playing on the tv, an old song from centuries ago sung by a certain Elvis Presley. Izuku made the notes in his head play along and _pushed_. Static sizzled. Inko watched, eager to see her son’s newly discovered Quirk.

An elephant appeared, beige of skin, its trunk a metallic red while its front legs were blue. Its tusks were short, but it had earrings lined on its ears.

It also nearly occupied the whole living room. Izuku starred, jaw agape, before turning to his mother.

“…Oops?”

Inko starred at the beast before turning to her son with a glare. Izuku panicked. How did he dismiss the creature? He wouldn’t wait for it to fade away like the penguin and porcupine and it was too big to leave by the door.

‘_Disappear, disappear, disappear, please…_’

The melody in his head vanished, and so did the monster. Inko sighed.

“A literal elephant in the room. Now, I’ve seen everything.”

Still, how could she be mad at her son for finally manifesting his Quirk? She held him tight, tears in her eyes.

“You can be a hero.” She uttered. “And you will. I know you will. You just need to master your Quirk.”

To Izuku, it was the greatest day ever.

To make up for not having a Quirk, he had begun observing and analyzing the Heroes’. He did the same with his, using an abandoned basketball field as a training ground under Inko’s vigilant eye. As it appeared, his Quirk could best be described as sound-to-color synesthesia. By seizing the sounds generated by his tinnitus, he could translate them into color – one sound being a color – and manifest them through his Quirk.

However, there were subtleties: simply taking a sound and pushing it out gave a splash of color. If he wanted to make monsters, he needed to arrange the sounds into tunes first. He was still amazed to realize he could control the color’s shape as it appeared. It took him days to properly control the technique but, after a little more than a week, he was able to harness his Quirk to paint on the floor. The sole problem was that his power was naturally inclined toward a certain style… Namely, graffiti. Izuku felt mildly embarrassed about it.

“Don’t be.” Inko reassured him. “Your powers are what they are. Besides, some graffiti are pretty enough to be considered street art.”

When it came to his monsters, Izuku quickly made the connection between the tunes that birthed them and music. He decided to name them accordingly. The red penguin he had summoned was birthed by British Pop, and the porcupine by Classic Music. After consideration – and some renaming as he discovered more variants of the creatures, the monsters were dubbed Brit Popguin and Classi Corehog. The elephant, born from Rock and Roll music, was called Pachy R&R after “pachyderm”. The next variant, born from Rhythm and Blues songs, was called Mammoth R&B. Soon enough, Izuku had an entire book dedicated solely to his monsters, with a small picture of them, their name and their abilities. He never took it to school out of fear Bakugo may destroy it, even after Inko suggested she made a graffiti monster to protect himself. Izuku still made the graffiti monster. He just kept the book at home.

“You should think of a general name for them.” Inko said one evening. “They aren’t exactly monsters, and creatures is a bit too cover-all.”

After hesitating, Izuku frowned.

“What about Noises? After all, I make them from noises I arrange into tunes.”

“It’s true that the noise in your head is the source of your Quirk. Noises it is.”

As it turned, despite their intimidating appearance, the Noises were rather friendly so long as Izuku acknowledged someone as his friend. Inko found having them around fairly practical. Grizzlies, all three kinds of them, were huge and muscular. Perfect for carrying heavy charges, and she would have gladly used a Pony Country, one of Izuku’s horse-like Noises, as a mean of transportation if open use of Quirks was allowed. But, since it wasn’t, she settled for keeping an Alterna Wolf as a guard dog. It helped that, as they were meandering in an art shop, Izuku stumbled upon a can of spray paint and discovered a new ability.

He could imbue the cans with his Quirk. Simply putting noise in the can gave it color-shifting properties. However, by imbuing in the paint the tunes that gave birth to his Noises, it allowed Inko to summon the monster by spray-painting them on a surface. Soon, she had a well-supplied reserve of canned Noises for when her son was at school.  
Then, one day, soon after he graduated in 3rd Grade, a brutal incident happened that revealed a much deadlier aspect of Izuku’s power – and marked him for life.  
Despite his power appearing, Bakugo and his cronies were still bullying him. They just did it at a distance since the boy kept a Noise at his side all the time. The teachers did and said absolutely nothing against either side, something which Bakugo took as enablement and frustrated Izuku to no end.

“Your monsters are lame!” They kept saying. “They look ugly! Look at that, they’re made of graffiti! That’s criminal! Everyone knows graffiti are illegal!”

“Your Quirk is that of a criminal!”

“Your style sucks!”

“Get rid of your monsters, they don’t fit the school.”

“No one likes you!”

And again, and again, and again. Izuku curled in his seat. At his side, the green and gold Celticat hissed a storm, keeping the other students at bay. But it couldn’t leave its creator’s side. Its purpose was to guard him, and so it stayed, even though it would love to claw a face or two…

“Shut up.” Izuku whined. “Shut up, please shut up…”

“You’re a delinquent! Go home, you’ll never be a Hero!”

“**_SHUUUT UUUP!!!_**”

The scream came like thunder. Izuku had been focusing on the cacophony in his head, trying to cover his classmates’ insults. His focus dived in the storm, wrapping his mind in the noise, cloaking his ears in vain. In an effort born of desperation, the boy forced the cacophony _out_, hoping to create a barrier of sound and color between himself and his tormentors. This isn’t what happened. Instead of a kaleidoscopic cloud, every single Noise in Izuku’s mind burst forth in a storm of static and dived at his classmates. Pandemonium ensued.

The Noises invaded the school, targeting students and teachers indiscriminately. Some tried to barricade doors. Dub and House Rhinos burst them, allowing Dixiefrogs, Decadraven, Jungle Boomers and Indie Rabbeats to assault the people in. Some with stronger Quirks, Bakugo among them, managed to hold off the monsters while buying time for everyone to evacuate. The headmaster barely had time to call the police for help, and even he didn’t think they would be enough. As a Wooly AOR invaded his office, he bitterly thought only Pro Heroes could stop the onslaught at this point.

He was right. It was coincidence that made All Might was passing by, but the coincidence was a welcome one. When he saw a Minimal Rhino run at a group of students, he summoned One for All.

“_**Detroit Smash!**_”

The punch dispelled the rhino in a burst of static. All Might turned to the teacher.

“It is fine, now. Why? Because I am here!”

Teacher and students breathed.

“Thanks god, All Might! We thought those monsters would kill us!”

“I won’t let them. What happened?”

The teacher hesitated. Unfortunately, Bakugo was in the group.

“Deku went crazy! We were teasing him a little about his Quirk because it lets him make those graffiti monsters and, suddenly, he snapped and sent swarms of them after us!”

All Might held a grimace and looked at the school. There was a lot of monsters.

“Fear not. I will stop your classmate and get rid of the monsters. After I call for help. That’s a lot even for me.”

He took his phone and pressed a number.

“Best Jeanist? It’s me. I have a situation at Aldera Middle School. The whole place was swarmed by one of the students’ Quirk and I wouldn’t mind additional hands… Not that they’re strong but there’s a lot of them.”

“_What!? On my way! Wait, Edge Shot is with me. I’m taking him along._”

“Oh. Great.”

He turned to the group.

“Fear not, more help is on the way!”

Then he went to fight the monsters. It was easy, all in all. Every creature disappeared in one punch, fading into static. The biggest problem was that there seemed to be no end to the swarm. For every monster he killed, two replaced them. And the monsters were _varied_.

Hedgehogs shot quills that barely scratched him, but either exploded or hit with a marksman’s precision.

Jellyfishes divided themselves if he didn’t kill them fast enough.

Minks struck in whirlwinds that would have left anyone else dizzy.

Penguins attacked in packs of three to five led by their strongest brethren.

Sharks swam across the ground like it was water, ambushing him from beneath.

Ravens dived and flew, forcing him to rely on long-range bursts.

Foxes teleported left and right, growing stronger as more tails grew.

Cats went straight to his face, unleashing a storm of claws.

Unicorns kicked when he approached from behind and fired their horn if approached from the front.

Turtles skidded across the ground and would have bowled into him if he was any less tough.

All in all, for anyone else, it would have been an absolute nightmare. It was one for the school, who was thoroughly unprepared for that kind of onslaught. All Might felt greatly relieved when Best Jeanist and Edge Shot finally arrived. The Ninja Hero looked at the place.

“What the _Hell_ is going on there!?”

“A student went crazy and swarmed the place with monsters!” All Might quickly explained.

Best Jeanist and Edge Shot both grimaced.

“Not good. Let’s try to rescue everyone and find the student. With any chance, we can convince him to stop. Otherwise…”

Otherwise, they would have to take drastic measures. All Might refused to consider it.

“We will save everyone, even this poor boy. Something caused him to snap. Once we’re done, we will find what, and we will make sure it never happens again…”

“Izuku!”

The three Heroes turned to see a woman, green of hair and wearing a pink dress. The woman looked at the place in horror.

“Izuku, my little boy, what happened to you?”

Best Jeanist moved to push her back to safety. A grey and blue graffiti wolf turned to the Heroes and ran…

Inko stepped between the Garage Wolf and the Heroes.

“Stop! Back, now!”

The Garage Wolf stopped dead in its tracks and turned away with a whine. The three Heroes were speechless. Edge Shot mustered his courage.

“Excuse me, Madam, but who are you?”

“Inko Midoriya. I recognize these creatures. They are the Noises Izuku makes with his Quirk. But it’s the first time I see them in such large numbers. Usually, my little boy only makes one or two at the time…”

All Might internally winced.

“Well, according to one of his schoolmates, your son went crazy and summoned an entire swarm of the creatures. They have been ravaging the school and hunting the people inside.”

Inko froze.

“He did what? No, something is wrong. My son would never do something like that. Not willingly. Who told you that?”

All Might tried to remember.

“A blonde boy with spiky hair. He called your son Deku…”

He almost jumped when Inko went pale and balled her fist.

“I see. Kacchan, huh? Mitsuki and I will have a **talk **once I’m done there. Thank you very much, sir. I will handle things from there. Don’t worry, Izuku’s Noises know me. They obey me as they obey him. Keep everyone safe while I recover _my son_.”

This was a tone that suffered no disobedience. All Might and Best Jeanist instantly agreed. Edge Shot shook his head.

“Obey her or not, I still feel bad about leaving a hapless civilian dive in that pandemonium. I’m coming along, just in case.”

“I wouldn’t exactly call her hapless.” Best Jeanist gulped.

Inko shrugged.

“Thanks for the concern, unnecessary as it is. Now, let’s go.”

They dived inside the school, Edge Shot watching in awe as a simple “Heel!” of Inko made the graffiti monsters sit down and be quiet. Inko made a beeline for her son’s classroom, hazarding it would be his location. She was right. Izuku was still in his seat, but his body was limp and, when she moved his head, she found his eyes empty and unfocused. Inko sighed and took her phone before playing a soothing, gentle melody. She raised the volume to the max and put the phone on her son’s ear.

Music: [Final Fantasy XII, Time for Rest](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUp46wc9d0Y)

“That loud?” Edge Shot frowned. “You will drive him deaf…”

“Izuku already suffers from tinnitus. This is the basis of his Quirk: it translates the sound in his head into color. I’m hoping the song will be loud enough that he can hear it and focus on it instead of the cacophony in his head.”

It worked. Izuku slowly came back to his senses, body stiffening and eyes focusing. He grabbed the phone and held it close.

“Mom? Why are you here? What’s going on?”

Edge Shot internally winced. How would his mother explain the mess he made? Inko took her son in her arms.

“It’s alright, sweetie. It’s alright. Shh…”

Izuku rested his head against her chest. Inko stroked his hair.

“Sweetie, what happened? When I found you, you were deep in your head.”

Izuku froze.

“…It’s Kacchan and the others. They kept saying mean things to me, so I focused on the cacophony in my head so I wouldn’t hear them. I… I think I forced the cacophony out, so their voice wouldn’t reach me.”

Edge Shot blinked. He wanted his classmates to shut up so he sent a swarm of monsters after them? Overkill, much? Izuku kept talking.

“I wanted the cacophony to surround me, kinda like a blanket. I wanted to hear only it, and I did. Until you gave me the phone, there was only the cacophony over me. Nothing else. I didn’t hear or see anything else, so it worked, right?”

“Yes, it did, sweetie. But… not exactly the way you may have wanted.”

It was only then that Izuku noticed the classroom was empty and more than a little damaged. Edge Shot inhaled and braced himself.

“Young boy, when you pushed the cacophony out, you created a huge swarm of monsters that attacked everyone in the school.”

“I what!? No! No, I… That’s not… what I wanted…”

“It’s alright.” The Hero reassured. “Accidents happen all the time. Given what you said, it’s obvious you either lost control or were unaware of what would happen if you translated your entire tinnitus with your Quirk. You shouldn’t blame yourself.”

But Izuku did. He clung to his mother, tears welling.

“They said mean things to me… Really mean. They said my Quirk was that of a criminal, that my monsters were ugly and the style sucked and I’ll never be a Hero. I wanted them to shut up so badly…”

“And Kacchan was among them, right?”

“He was the loudest.”

Inko quietly nodded. Edge Shot shook his head.

“Bullying a kid that can create monsters tough enough to give Pro Heroes pause. Real smart.”

As they got out of the building, they were pleased to see most Noises were gone, and the few remaining were fading one after the other. Only an Alterna Wolf remained, who dutifully went to Inko and rubbed its head against her leg. Inko petted it with her free hand. Best Jeanist’s expression was hard to read, but it was still softer than before.

“I did a headcount with the teachers. No casualty accounted for, only injured and none were life-threatening. It seems the monsters were more focused on hurting then killing.”

“All is well that ends well.” All Might smiled. “I see you got your son back, Madam.”

Before Inko could answer, Izuku’s homeroom teacher came to her and opened her mouth. Inko didn’t let him talk, shoving Izuku in Edge Shot’s arms before punching the man. The teacher fell on his rear, his eye covered by a bruise.

“Why didn’t you stop them?!” The woman roared. “It happened in your classroom! The other brats were bullying my son and you _let them!_ This is your fault this mess happened!”

“M-Midoriya-san, I – your son…”

“Shut. Up. You’re lucky the school is too ruined to be usable anymore because I would have removed Izuku _and_ sued you. As it is, I will simply sue you, drop Izuku home and go to the Bakugo household to have a talk with Mitsuki. Her brat’s behavior cannot last.”

She retrieved her son and headed for the exit before the Heroes’ stunned look.

“…She doesn’t look like much but that woman has a core of steel.” Best Jeanist hummed.

All Might was torn between commending the mother’s bravery and swooning. Inko Midoriya was an awesome woman, especially for a civilian.

Then Bakugo decided to throw one last insult at Izuku.

“You’ll never become a Hero, Deku. Not after that. Not after throwing your monsters at us.”

Inko froze in her steps. The Alterna Wolf at her size turned to the boy, fangs bared. Inko turned as well, eyes narrowed to slits. Before the Heroes could stop her, she gave an order.

“Chomp.”

The Alterna Wolf took off like a rocket, going straight for the blonde bully. Before Best Jeanist could drag him away or All Might could punch the Noise, Inko gave another order.

“Stop. Heel, now.”

The Alterna Wolf pulled short and, head low, returned to the woman’s side. Bakugo wasn’t the only one shivering like a leaf. Best Jeanist and Edge Shot looked at one another.

“Note to self: steer clear from her bad side.”

All Might wholeheartedly agreed.

* * *

A simple question: I can't decide between Graffiti Heart and Synesthesia for Izuku's Quirk. Which would you prefer?


	2. Bad powers for good people

It is a fact: repeat something to a kid for long enough and he will start believing it. People had repeated times and times again to Izuku that his Quirk sucked and he would never become a Hero. After the incident at Aldera School, the boy wholeheartedly believed them. Inko was worried when he stopped going to his training ground. She was even more so when he refused to use his powers, even to simply fill a can with Noise. Then he stopped taking notes on Quirks, changing channel when news featuring Heroes flashed. The alarm bells rang loudly when he started removing All Might memorabilia from his room, one item after the other.

But what could she do? What could she say to comfort her son? She had gone to the Bakugo household and a brutal conversation had ensued between her and Mitsuki, the two women almost coming to blows. Mitsuki had finally agreed to keep both of their sons as far away from each other as possible. Afterwards, Inko had made good on her words and sued Aldera School. To her surprise, Best Jeanist and Edge Shot had spoken in her favor, especially Edge Shot, who had accompanied her in her search. The school had been forced to pay a hefty sum that, combined with the massive damage caused by Izuku’s Noises, had driven them bankrupt and forced them to close permanently. When he returned to school, Izuku would go elsewhere.

Her son didn’t get better. He retreated in his room, hardly speaking, only moving to eat and wash. Music was constantly blaring in his ears to drown the cacophony in his head. He spent most of his days in his room with the curtains closed, curled on his bed. Inko was getting desperate and, to add to her woe, she had called Hisashi dozens of times and her husband hadn’t answered once. The woman sighed and endured. Izuku was her son. She would take care of him no matter what.

On the day before he was due to return to school, the boy mustered his courage and went to the abandoned basketball field. Traces of his past training were long gone: the paintings he made only stayed for three to five days at most. Izuku didn’t know why he’d gone there. He didn’t intend to use his powers – never again. They were too dangerous. The incident at his school had been a lesson: his Noises were strong. Strong enough to challenge Pro Heroes. Not only were they made in a delinquent style, they were creatures of battle, literal monsters he could sic on people. That’s why he would never use them again. He didn’t want to hurt anyone but it was exactly what his Noises did.

He was about to leave when he sensed a presence nearby. He turned to see a black-haired, close-shaven man in a white hoodie and denim jeans, white sneakers on his feet and a yellow bag hanging over his shoulder. His face was square, his jawline sharp, and his dark grey eyes gleamed with amusement.

“I was wondering why there was no new artwork showing on that old field. There used to be a new one every three days or so but, some weeks ago, it suddenly stopped. That’s sad. It gave some color to the neighborhood.”

Izuku tensed. The cacophony in his head seemed to grow louder.

“Who are you?”

“Right. Manners, Michiro.” The man smiled. “I am Michiro Honda. I work as a courier across the neighborhood. I like passing by this place, even though it isn’t the shortest way around. The artwork is pretty nice, very colorful and entertaining to watch.”

Izuku jumped.

“But it’s graffiti! It’s delinquent art! It’s illegal! Besides, everyone says this style sucks.”

“Vandalism is illegal.” Michiro corrected. “If you paint in a place you’re not allowed to, even if it’s a replica of Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, the police will still get on your case. But if it’s on a place where it’s legal to paint, you can do whatever you want and all people will do is comment on the style.”

“Oh.”

Michiro walked to the boy. Izuku tensed. The man raised his hands.

“Don’t worry, I’m not here to hurt you. I was just wondering why no new artwork was showing up on my favorite path. Hey, if it makes you feel better, my Quirk is Pathfinder: it allows me to figure the quickest path from Point A to Point B. Not exactly a combat Quirk, you’ll admit…”

“No, but perfect to evade the authorities… or to quickly deliver things around. That’s why you became a courier, right?”

“Yeah. I wouldn’t exactly call myself a pacifist but I prefer to avoid violence if I can. This despite my sweet Haneko being a Pro herself. God, do I love that woman… She’s the only one who can beat me in a race without a speed Quirk.”

There was a fondness in his eyes that made Izuku relax somehow. From his tone and his face, it was obvious the man was hopelessly in love. Michiro knelt to his level.

“You’re the one who used to make those paintings, right? Why did you stop?”

Izuku hesitated. 

“…It’s my Quirk. I turn the sound in my head into color. I used this place to train, but it was before I realized how dangerous it was.”

“How is synesthesia dangerous?”

“It makes monsters. I call them Noises… One time, I was bullied at school and… and…” Izuku sobbed. “I didn’t mean to make it this way. I just wanted to stop hearing them. They were saying mean things to me, so I focused on the sound in my head and pushed it out… The school was invaded by monsters. There was so many even All Might had trouble…”

Michiro winced. Izuku cried.

“My Noises hurt others! They hurt them a lot! That’s why… I can’t summon them anymore. Because, if I do, they will hurt people. I don’t want that. I don’t want to hurt people.”

“Did you want to hurt your classmates back then?”

Izuku froze. Michiro looked at him, his gaze meeting his.

“When you swarmed your school with your Noises, did you want to hurt your classmates?”

“I wanted them to stop. They were saying mean things to me. I told them to shut up.”

“Were there casualties? Did people die?”

“No. They were only hurt. My Noises didn’t kill them.”

Michiro smiled.

“Can you summon a Noise for me? A tiny one, your weakest.”

“It will hurt you!”

“Even your weakest?”

Izuku hesitated. There was a Noise, small and pretty much harmless, that he could summon. He held a hand as static sizzled and a note-looking tadpole appeared. Michiro looked at it. The tiny Noise didn’t seem aggressive. Taking a pen from his bag, he carefully poked it… The Noise poked the pen back.

“It doesn’t look hostile.”

Putting the pen away, he held a hand. Izuku froze.

‘_Don’t attack him, don’t attack him, don’t attack him…_’

The Noise nuzzled Michiro’s hand. The courier caressed it. It let him. Izuku couldn’t believe it.

“It… It didn’t hurt you.”

“Did you want it to?”

“Wha – No! I kept telling it not to attack in my head…”

Michiro grinned.

“Then it seems we found the key to your problem. Your monsters, your Noises, they obey you. You give them an order and they comply. Tell them not to attack and they won’t be hostile. Tell them to shut someone up and they will make them somehow, by mauling if they have to. Tell me, what was your intent when you made that Noise?”

“I… had none. Well, I just wanted to show you, make a Noise that was small and harmless…”

“And it didn’t harm me. Let’s make and experiment: make a bigger Noise, but make it with a clearly pacific purpose in mind.”

Izuku hesitated. After considering, he summoned a Garage Wolf that immediately sat down, tongue lolling. Michiro looked at it.

“What did you make it for?”

“To play.”

Michiro grinned and took a fallen branch. The Wolf tensed. He threw it. The Wolf bolted after the branch and handed it to the man. Michiro turned to Izuku.

“See? Intent is the key. Your Noises will do what you made them to do.”

“But they swarmed my school…!”

“Because you were bullied and tried to defend yourself, so you lost control. Also, _Shut someone up_ is a bit vague for an order. Accidents happen. I get it what happened to your school was one.”

Izuku looked away.

“People say my power is lame. My monsters are ugly and the style is that of a delinquent. They say I’ll never be a Hero and, after what happened at school…”

“What happened to your school was an accident. Not only that, it happened because you were bullied. The people who hurt you are the ones in the wrong, not you. Everyone screws up at least once after they first manifest their Quirk. I know I did. The number of times my Quirk guided me across a rooftop and I screwed the landing…”

“Really?”

Michiro shrugged.

“My power tells me the quickest way from Point A to Point B. Sometimes, the quickest way is across the roof. Just remember to mind the gap. Anyway, the people who call your powers lame would probably need a new pair of pants if one of those critters…” He rubbed the Garage Wolf. “Went chomping after their rear. As for your Noises being ugly, to each their own. There are plenty of people who appreciate graffiti art when it’s well-made, and if your artworks are anything to come by, you’re not bad in that department.”

Izuku looked down. Michiro knelt before him.

“What’s your name, kid?”

“Izuku.”

“Izuku, listen to me: no power is inherently good or bad. It’s what you do with them that makes them. You can make Noises to hurt or you can make them to help, the choice is all yours since they will obey you. But never let anyone tell your Quirk sucks or you can only do bad with it. _This_ is for you alone to decide. Got it?”

The lesson would take time to sink, but it would. Just like the incident at Aldera had broken Izuku, the encounter with Michiro mended him.

His new school was called Corelia. Catching up wasn’t easy, but Izuku was smart. He quickly mended the gap his shut-in phase had made, much to his teachers’ surprise. However, he never used his powers there. His classmates gave him a weird look, muttering among themselves about the quiet green-haired boy who never said a word unless he was answering questions and never used his Quirk for anything. One of them wondered aloud if he was Quirkless… Izuku summarily shut him by covering his notebook with graffiti. Yes, he very much had powers. He was simply cautious. Making artwork was their most harmless use. The other students left him alone after that. None of them had realized he was the boy who had swarmed Aldera with monsters.

At home, things were different.

“Quirks and muscles are a lot similar.” Michiro told him once. “Once you spend a lot of time without using them, you need to reteach yourself how to do it. This is called reeducation. My advice? Start small. Take it easy. Tiny step after another. Start using your powers for mundane, meaningless tasks and then move to more complicated operations, got it?”

So, Izuku was using his power for small things. Refilling the Noise cans at home because his mother very much liked the assistance they provided. Painting pages after pages on his notebooks with his powers. Summoning Frogs and Rabbeats, his weaker Noises, to strengthen his control over them.

“They are based on music.” Michiro realized one day. “Now I think about it, your whole Quirk seems to have a street art and underground theme to it. Say, what are your hobbies?”

Izuku hesitated.

“I… analyze people’s Quirks, especially the Heroes. I used to take plenty of notes before. I’ve started doing it again a little. Also, I listen music. All kinds. And I use my power to paint on paper.”

Michiro nodded.

“You don’t have friends?”

“Nu-huh.”

“Hm. That’s not exactly good. Alright then, how about I teach you a few things about street culture to go along your Quirk? Since it has a theme, might as well expend your knowledge of it and spread your horizons. Also, I got the feeling you could use an outlet…”

The third time they had met, Izuku had introduced Inko and Michiro. Michiro had quickly reassured his mother about his intentions and showed her his wedding ring. Not only that, his wife was pregnant so the pair was expecting a child in the following months. Since Inko owed him for getting her son out of his shell, she let Izuku hang with the courier. Besides, in a pinch, she knew well how strong his Noises were.

Michiro’s first order was to get the boy a wardrobe change. Hoodies in green, silver and black found their way in Izuku’s dresser, along with loose-fitting pants and robust shoes. Next, the courier taught the boy his favorite activity: free-running.

“Are people still giving you grief over your powers?”

“Not really. They leave me alone, now.”

“Better that than harassment. Anyway, more than just looking cool, free-running – or, in its original language,_ le parkour_ – is a martial art that focuses on surroundings awareness, efficiency and self-control, things that are always useful in everyday life. Free-running will teach you how to get from one place to another quickly and efficiently. Since it’s also very physical, it will shape you up and give you a way to blow steam after school. Now, let’s start with some basic moves…”

They trained jumps and balance, how to dispel the momentum of a fall or a huge leap by rolling and to coordinate movements when running. Izuku found himself enjoying the lessons. Fourth grade came and he found himself feeling more at ease than before. Not a year had gone but he still felt stronger and more agile, more in-control of himself. And with control came confidence. Michiro was talking about giving him breakdance lessons and Izuku had to admit he was interested. Breakdancing was very acrobatic.

He had also discovered a new aspect of his power. After one of his hoodies had been dirtied by fresh paint, Michiro had asked the boy about using his Quirk to dye the fabric, out of curiosity… Hs power had done more than that, completely revamping the hoodie with a new shape and color. The courier had found it hilarious, and Izuku had embarrassedly explained his mother that yes, it was still the same hoodie he had left home with. Inko had ended buying worn-down and second-hand clothes for Izuku to train with. Unlike his paintings, once a cloth was altered by his Quirk, it was permanent. The boy thus found himself with easy access to dirt-cheap yet brand-new clothing, which greatly reduced the Midoriyas’ shopping bill. Inko was very happy with the discovery.

It was during one of these shopping trips that she met Toshinori Yagi. The man, shriveled and gaunt, was rather disturbing to look at but Inko knew better than to judge a person by their look.

And, in a pinch, she always had a can of Wolf in her bag. Open use of Quirk may be prohibited but self-defense remained self-defense…

Toshinori, still recovering from his fight with All for One, was surprised to see the woman leave the second-hand shop. He still remembered Inko Midoriya, motherly face and steely gaze. The memory of her still made him sigh wistfully. He had considered looking for the woman after the incident, ask for a meeting, get to know her… Sure, that she had a son meant she had to be married but nevertheless, he remained curious about the steel-toned woman. Too bad his personal life – or lack thereof – always got in the way. There was always a bystander to save, a villain to arrest, a crisis to advert. One thing led to another and he ended the day without having found time to look for Inko Midoriya’s number and give her a call. And now, All for One had ravaged him. Sure, the criminal had been defeated, but the victory had come with a sharp price…

He was greatly surprised to see her at the shop. Surely, the Midoriyas weren’t that poor, right? He hesitated, wondering how to accost her. It was Inko who accosted him.

“Excuse me, sir, but you don’t look so well. Can I help you with anything?”

Toshinori held a cough. It was true that he was carrying a grocery bag filled almost to the brim. And it was a bit heavy.

“I admit I wouldn’t mind some help, madam.”

Inko smiled and took the grocery bag. They walked together in comfortable silence, Toshinori unsure how to start the conversation. He didn’t have to. Inko noticed him looking at the bag of clothes.

“Don’t worry, it’s for my son’s Quirk. Izuku can turn the sound in his head into color and it turns out that, applied to clothing, it completely changes their look – and permanently at that. Sure, we can go to more fashionable shops but why bother? And it lightens our budget a lot!”

“Oh.” Toshinori smiled. “That’s clever.”

He still vividly remembered the swarm of graffiti monsters that had invaded Aldera School. To hear the boy had developed a practical application to his power was a great new. They ended talking about art, fashion and Izuku’s natural artistic tendencies. It was a pleasant talk. As he closed the door of his apartment, the Hero smiled. In the grocery bag was a slip of paper with Inko’s number.

When Inko got home, she smiled at the sight of her son doing his homework, their Alterna Wolf guard resting its head on his knees.

“How was school?”

“Good. There are new faces.” Izuku smiled. “Most people know to leave me alone. I hope the word goes around fast. I’m still… I’m still a bit nervous about using my Quirk at school so I hate it when people ask me to demonstrate it. I never really know what to do…”

Inko hummed.

“At least Bakugo isn’t there.”

“He’s not. I would have noticed him. Do you know where he goes?”

“Last time I heard, Mitsuki had enrolled him at Tatoin Junior High… By the way, I brought new clothes!”

Izuku turned to the bag and grinned, static sizzling between his fingers.

“Any special request, Mom?”

The following week was eventless, the newcomers integrating in the class. As school ended that Friday, however, a mishap happened.

“Hey, did you know Shinso’s Quirk can mind-control people?”

“Wow, that’s totally villainous!”

“He said he wants to be a Pro Hero. Yeah, sure. He’ll sooner be a Pro Bad Guy.”

Izuku frowned deeply. The boy in question, Hitoshi Shinso, was one of the year’s newcomers, a purple-haired kid who looked permanently tired. Michiro’s words came back to his mind. Static sizzled in his hand as notes rang louder and louder in his head.

He had never summoned a Noise at school since the incident at Aldera. Time to remedy that.

“Shut up.”

The five kids turned to him, surprised. Hitoshi raised his head and met Izuku’s glare for a moment. It made him shudder. So far, the kid at the back had always been quiet and inconspicuous… One of his bullies gave the boy a haughty look.

“And what are you gonna do, Midoriya? Your Quirk only turns sound into color. All you can do is paint stuff in your notebook.”

Izuku scoffed.

“You only saw that aspect of my Quirk because I’d rather not use its other abilities at school. It didn’t end well the last time I did.”

The kids looked at one another. A girl raised a hand, nails sharpening like talons. Izuku raised a brow and put a hand on Hitoshi’s desk. Static sizzled as a white-furred cat appeared, with intricate dark blue graffiti lines over its body that became lighter and solid to make its legs. The creature hissed at the bullies.

“This is a Bluescat. By arranging the sounds in my head into melodies, I can create monsters. Last time I checked, I had fifty different kinds, including the elephants.”

This quickly calmed the bullies.

“And… how tough are they?”

Izuku grimaced, remembering Aldera.

“Call a Pro Hero for the bigger ones. Don’t worry, though: they obey to intent. If I make them to play, they’ll be friendly. If I make them to defend someone, steer clear. If I make them to attack, prepare for a mauling. I made this one with defensive intent, by the way.”

No need to ask who he wanted to protect. Hitoshi was surprised. It was the first time someone came to his defense.

“…Why are you helping me?”

Izuku’s gaze was harsh.

“Back in my old school, people kept telling me that I would never be a Hero because my Quirk sucked and my monsters were ugly. One day, I couldn’t take it anymore and lost control. The results were so bad I was scared of using my powers for weeks afterward, until I met a man who told me no power is good or evil. It’s what you do with them that make them so. My power makes monsters – strong ones, even. They are in a style many consider delinquent, even though it’s only vandalism if you paint in places you’re not allowed to. But if I make Noises to play with people or to help Mom at home, it can’t be a bad Quirk, right? And if you use your mind-control to get a villain to surrender to the police or to stop someone mugging you, it isn’t bad either.” He turned to the girl. “But if you use your talons to slash someone’s face, then it’s a bad Quirk. You catch what I mean?”

The bullies looked at one another, embarrassed. The girl’s talons retracted.

“…Still, you have to admit some Quirks are more useful as a Villain than a Hero.”

“Then you’re not being creative enough. Every Quirk can be used for good or bad.” A grin crossed his face. “The man who told me that, do you know what his Quirk is? He calls it Pathfinder, and it tells him the quickest path from Point A to Point B.”

A boy whistled.

“Pretty useful for running from the police.”

“Yeah, but he’s a courier. He uses his Quirk to better deliver packages across the neighborhood. Bad Quirk, good people.”

The bullies looked away, some more reluctantly than the others.

“…Fine, we’ll leave Shinso alone. But the day he’ll use his Quirk to mind-control someone, we’ll have told you.”

“And I will have told you the day any of you use their Quirk to hurt someone. That kind of threat goes both ways.”

The Bluescat hissed a warning. The bullies shook their head and left. Izuku turned to Hitoshi.

“Are you alright?”

“Yeah, I’m used to it. But it’s the first time someone defends me…”

“I’ve been there.” Izuku said quietly. “People bullied me because of my Quirk to the point I lost control. I wasn’t lying about that part. I’m still ashamed of it.”

“I had a few accidents with mine too. My parents doing everything I told them, a few of my classmates doing stupid things because I accidentally brainwashed them… It wasn’t big, but people who know my Quirk are afraid to talk to me because I need people to answer me before I can brainwash them. What happened when you lost control? You said it was bad…”

The memory of Aldera came back at full strength. Izuku froze.

“It was… Between the damage I caused and Mom suing them, they had to close the school. I can make elephants but not only. I got rhinos, sharks and even gators. And… they all came out at once.”

It was Hitoshi’s turn to freeze.

“You summoned every one of your monsters at once!?”

“Yeah. All Might had no problem punching them down, but there was simply too many. In the end, it was Mom who snapped me out and ended the swarm. I never summoned a Noise at school since them.”

And here they called his Quirk villainous… The green-haired boy losing control meant a massive swarm of graffiti monsters invading the area. It was definitively worse.

“Don’t worry.” Izuku reassured. “I’m training to get better control over them. Besides, to summon the swarm, I need to do something very specific. I won’t let it happen again. But my Noises may be a bit more aggressive than necessary when dealing with bullies. And summoning them is _not_ the only thing I can do!”

“Good to know. You got me a bit worried for a moment…”

He caressed the Bluescat, who rubbed its head on his chin. The creature had an odd texture.

And so, a new friendship was born.

* * *

A little bit of trivia:

Since some locations in the 'verse seem to have a Star Wars-themed naming going on, Izuku and Bakugo's new schools reference Corellia (Han Solo's homeworld) and Tatooine respectively.

Michiro's name, should it be written in Japanese, would contain the kanji for path, way or road, 道 (michi).

Along with the original TWEWY Noises, I created several new species to fluff Izuku's power set: rabbit-based **Rabbeats** (Indie Rabbeat, Jazz Rabbeat, March Rabbeat, Nu Rabbeat and Soul Rabbeat), **Cats** (Reggae Cat, Celticat, Bluescat and Ethnicat), horse-based **Ponies** (Pony Country, Pony Shanties, Pony Madison, Pony Turbo, Pony Honky and Pony Western) alligator-based **Gators** (Acidgator, Zydegator, Filgator and Gospelgator), snake-based **Orochi** (Gagaku Orochi, Shomyo Orochi, Jojuro Orochi and Nagauta Orochi) and turtle-based **Shells** (Discoshell, Hiphopshell and Grooveshell).

Like the original Noises, they are all themed after musical genres. Yes, even the snakes. They come from traditional Japanese music. If anyone wants to know more, just say so. I will post the list in the comments. And yes, I also researched the origins for the TWEWY Noises.


	3. Growing companionship

Hitoshi had to admit, having a friend was something new. Ever since his Quirk had manifested, he had been pretty much alone. Izuku painfully related. His own Quirk had manifested late so, for two years, he had been bullied for being Quirkless. Even today, though Graffiti Heart had a wide range of uses, it still came with the drawback of an otherwise crippling tinnitus. Sure, his power worked by arranging the tinnitus into something coherent and turning it into color, but it didn’t change the fact that a storm of noise was brewing in his head all the time, hence why he always wore headphones.

The two boys had fun comparing the pros and cons of their power, jokingly coming up with the worst side-effects and disadvantages. Then they’d come up with the opposite and imagine all kinds of scenarios where they could use their Quirk in the most amazing ways.

It was all fun and game so long as they put none of it into practice. Michiro had a good laugh at it.

“My grandfather used to say ‘_Imagine the worst situation possible and make it your happy place. Then imagine an even worse scenario and prepare for it, because there are such things as Fate, Karma and Murphy, and all three hate your guts._’ Yeah, Grandpa was a fairly pessimistic guy. Comes up with growing during the Dark Age of Quirks. Still, it doesn’t hurt to hope for the best while expecting the worst.”

He had finally decided to teach Izuku breakdancing. The boy thoroughly enjoyed the lessons. Not only was the music lively, the dance was greatly physical and required as much focus as free-running. It distracted him from the cacophony in his head and made him stronger and fitter while being thoroughly entertaining. He was very happy the day he managed to do a handstand.

At school, people left him and Hitoshi alone. Everybody now knew his Quirk allowed him to summon monsters and no one wanted to challenge that. And, since Hitoshi was under his protection, they stayed away from the mind-manipulator as well. Hitoshi was grateful.

A month after they met, Izuku decided to introduce his friend to Michiro and his mother. Michiro warmly greeted the boy.

“Izuku told me a bit about you. A mind-manipulator, huh? Mental Quirks are fairly uncommon compared to physical ones. You’ll sooner find a hardened skin or fire breath than sharper senses.”

“So… you don’t care I can brainwash others?”

“No. It’s your power. You do what you want with it. I’ll still rap your knuckles if you use it to break the law, though.”

Hitoshi belatedly remembered it was the courier that had taught Izuku his Bad Quirk-Good People mentality. He didn’t complain when the green-haired boy showed him the bases of free-running or shared his more exotic music tracks with him. All he asked for in return was a can of Bluescat for his personal use. The Noises made for great pets and he had a certain fondness for kittens…

They had gone to Izuku’s home to do homework when they caught Inko at the phone. It was on loudspeaker, and there was a feminine voice with a thick American accent.

“_Anyway, Hisashi’s my sugar daddy, now. Goodbye, pancake face._”

The phone slipped from Inko’s hand. Still in a daze, she went to sit, unaware that her son and his best friend had been listening. Their Alterna Guardwolf put its head on her knees. Inko stroked it a few times before falling to tears. Izuku carefully approached, Hitoshi a few steps behind.

“Mom, what’s going on?”

Inko turned to him, finally aware of the children in her house.

“Izuku…”

Before any of the boys could react, she hugged them tight, tears staining their shoulder. Izuku and Hitoshi held her. They didn’t know why she was crying but they knew she was in pain. They sat with her, waiting for her tears to dry. After what felt like hours, Inko finally spoke.

“That _gaijin_ bitch! How dares she steal Hisashi!? And she boasts about it to my face, at that! She is never, ever setting a foot in my house, and neither is that limp-noodled traitor!”

She ranted, raging at her cheating husband and his vixen of a paramour. Once her temper was down, she grimaced and looked at the two boys.

“Sorry you got to see that. I still can’t believe Hisashi is cheating on me… Come on, let’s get started on your homework. I will make some tea.”

Izuku and Hitoshi agreed. There was a dull ache in Izuku’s heart. He knew what cheating meant. As he took his notes and his books, he couldn’t help but be bewildered. Why would his dad see another woman? His mom was great, she was amazing! She was sweet and caring and always smiling and when there were mean people around, she still smiled as she threatened to embed a yen in their eyes as she prepared to summon a Garage Wolf. She was supportive and protective and everything he could ever ask for. So why did his dad not love her back?

“He’s an idiot.” He mumbled to himself before working on a math problem

Meanwhile, as the tea brewed, Inko was deep in thoughts. She and Toshinori had seen each other a few times after their meeting at the clothes shop and they were getting along amazingly. If she didn’t know better, she would hazard the blonde man had a crush on her… and she didn’t mind. Despite looking barely fresher than a zombie, Toshi was a real gentleman, always respectful and considerate. She enjoyed his company.

And now, her cheating bastard of a husband was seeing another woman. Hisashi wouldn’t get away with it scot-free. Not a chance. As she served the tea, Inko idly wondered if Izuku and Toshinori would get along. They probably would. Izuku had a big heart in his chest. But would he be alright if she started seeing the man? Friends were one thing. A _boy_friend was another.

When he heard Hisashi was cheating on his wife, Toshinori was baffled.

“How could he… Your husband is an idiot, Inko-san. A blind idiot, for not seeing how amazing his wife is.”

“Thank you, Toshi.” Inko sighed. “I am not stupid, I noticed how you behave around me. Your feelings are obvious. I don’t want you to think I would see you to get even with him. You deserve better than that. But that bastard is seeing another chick. I feel much less guilt about returning your feelings.”

There was an edge in her voice that idly reminded Toshinori the woman wasn’t to be trifled with. Roses had thorns. Inko Midoriya had Noises. He took her hands.

“I understand, Inko-san. Thank you for being honest.” A smile crossed his face. “Unlike your husband, I can see clearly what an amazing woman you are. I would sooner face All Might’s fury than see someone else in your back.”

Inko almost melted at the words. That evening, when she asked Izuku what he would think of her seeing another man, she got a very curt and rather unexpected answer.

“Dad started it.”

Point taken. She and Toshinori began to date. Izuku didn’t care and Hitoshi even less. Inko was nice, but the Midoriyas’ business was their problem and he would only assist if asked. As for Michiro, he laughed hysterically at the situation.

“I wouldn’t wish to be your dad at the moment, kid! Your mother’s a sakura tree with serrated leaves and she will cut your genitor to ribbons the moment he returns. Best that he stays in America with his braindead bimbo for a few decades. _Maybe_, just maybe, she will cool off. But I wouldn’t bet on it.”

One year went by, then two and three. Elementary became Junior High. Izuku and Hitoshi remained close, the green-haired boy being the mind-manipulator’s only friend. Hitoshi aside, Izuku didn’t have many friends either. His reputation as Corelia’s monster-summoning bully hunter kept most of his peers away but Izuku didn’t mind. He still remembered Bakugo and his cronies’ bullying. Better a handful of true friends than a gaggle of false ones.

Hitoshi had naturally taken a deeper interest at his best friend’s hobbies. Under Michiro’s tutelage, he had honed his skills in free-running and breakdance, deepening his knowledge of street culture. The trio usually gathered at the old basketball field on weekends to dance or practice with spray paint, Inko joining them sometimes with a thermos of tea and snacks. Those were the times Hitoshi remembered most fondly.

Junior High brought many new faces as people changed classes and groups were splintered. Izuku and Hitoshi were lucky enough to remain together. Not only that, the pair got acquainted with a couple of newcomers from a different elementary school. The couple was also childhood friends and, just like them, had managed to remain together.

Their names were Denki Kaminari and Kyoka Jiro.

It was recess and Izuku was quietly headbanging at a table, completely ignoring Hitoshi’s amused smirk.

"Let me guess: Metal again? Some genres are a bit too cacophonic to my taste but the more melodic can be really catchy.”

“Hitoshi, I got a dozen different Noises that require a variant of Metal music. Of course, it will take a large part of my playlist.”

Hitoshi chuckled. A little away, Kyoka watched them. She had noticed the green-haired boy always wore earphones and it got her curious. When class resumed, Denki tried to put his own headphones on, only to be summarily scolded.

“Why can Midoriya do it, then?” The blonde grumbled.

“Your classmate suffers from Quirk-related tinnitus.” Their teacher explained. “The earphones are necessary to counter it.”

This got Denki to shut up. Kyoka frowned. A Quirk based on tinnitus? She wondered about the details. She got her answer as class ended. As they left, Izuku started humming the first notes of Nirvana’s _Smells Like Teen Spirit_. Static sizzled along his arms and a black wolf with metallic grey graffiti limbs appeared. The wolf, despite its fearful appearance, went begging for caresses, which Izuku and Hitoshi provided. The other students gave them a wide berth, obviously intimidated by the creature, and Kyoka herself had to admit it looked threatening. But it was just a façade. With its summoner and his friend, it behaved like a big friendly dog.

Once they were out, Izuku hummed another song, Toby Fox’s _Megalovania_. A navy-blue rabbit with white ears and hindlegs appeared and sauntered next to the wolf. Denki raised a brow.

“He uses music to make monsters?

“Apparently. But how is it related to his tinnitus?”

The next day, Kyoka mustered the courage to ask the boy. Izuku watched her come, earphones still on. Hitoshi tensed a little but remained silent.

“Excuse me.” Kyoka said. “I’m Kyoka Jiro. I noticed you summon monsters from music yesterday and I’ve been wondering how it works.”

Izuku raised a brow.

“You don’t find them scary?”

The girl bit her lips.

“Actually… I find them stylish. They look like living graffiti art pieces and, well, yeah, I like the style.”

Izuku beamed.

“They’re called Noises, actually. I summon them by picking the sounds made by my tinnitus and arranging them into melodies. Different musical styles make different Noises.”

“Oh… What music styles do you know then?”

Hitoshi answered in Izuku’s stead, amusement in his voice.

“Over fifty, and it ranges from Nu Metal to Ragtime, with a hefty helping of Jazz and Pop.”

It was Kyoka’s turn to look eager. Deciding to give her a demo, Izuku asked her.

“What music do you prefer?”

“Punk!”

The boy nodded and started humming_ Anarchy in the UK_ by Sex Pistols. A pretty huge crab – by the species’ standards – manifested in a sizzle of static. It was black with metallic grey pincers and waved cheerfully at the girl.

“Carcinopunk.” Izuku explained. “As far as I’ve seen, it’s the strongest Carcino I have. Another thing: my Noises answer to intent. I make them with a specific purpose in mind, or at least a general attitude. If I make them friendly, they will play with everyone. If I make them cautious, they will behave if treated nicely but will attack if threatened. Noises I make to harm, I always make them with a specific target in mind. If I didn’t, they would attack anyone in sight…”

At his grimace, Kyoka guessed there had been an accident to warrant that specificity.

“Cool Quirk. Is it all you can do?”

Hitoshi laughed.

“Not by a long shot! Izuku’s Graffiti Heart is a real swiss-army knife. We haven’t figured out everything it can do yet.”

“By picking lone sounds, I can paint on things but it only lasts for three to five days.” Izuku explained. “When using that ability on clothes, I can alter how they look, and it’s permanent until I alter them again. Mom uses it to buy cheap clothing so I can change it into something more stylish later. It lightens our budget.”

Kyoka whistled. Denki seemed fairly interested in that ability. The girl turned to Hitoshi.

“What about you? What’s your Quirk?”

Hitoshi’s answer was a dangerous grin.

“Brainwashing. If someone answers to me, I can control their mind. This means I can control you right now…”

He narrowly dodged a lash of Kyoka’s earphones lobes.

“Don’t you dare!”

“I was joking.”

“You better…”

Izuku looked at the girl.

“And you, your Quirk is those jack-like earlobes. What do they do exactly?”

“Well, I can use them as actual jacks, for starters.” Kyoka smiled. “I can also use them as rope and transmit sound through them. Last time I’ve seen, they can extend to four meters.”

“Uh, that’s nice.”

He would take notes later, even though his fingers just itched to take his notebook and write. Denki grinned.

“My name’s Denki Kaminari. I’m Kyoka’s best friend. Anyway, since we’re talking about Quirks, mine’s Electrification. I generate an electric aura around me, but I also use it to charge appliances, like my phone or the hairdryer. Actually, I’m trying to direct the electricity, but it’s an uphill struggle… Still, I’ll get to make that lightning blade, one day.”

Now, Izuku really wanted to take notes. They kept talking about their Quirks for the whole recess and, as class ended, the conversation shifted to music. Kyoka and Izuku were two peas in a pod, the b-boy and the punk singer. They spent the entire way talking groups and trading tracks. Hitoshi and Denki naturally felt a little left out.

“Let them.” Hitoshi sighed. “Izuku can be pretty focused when it comes to his hobbies. Whatever caught his fancy, he isn’t satisfied until he knows the matter completely, may it be music, street art or Quirks.”

“He’s interested in Quirks?”

“Given he spent two years apparently Quirkless, he developed the habit of analyzing Quirks to compensate. He has entire notebooks on the matter at home – and yes, he completely analyzed mine. Until he mentioned it, I would have never thought of using Brainwashing through sign language. It works.”

Denki whistled.

“I wonder if he could do it with mine. Electrification has a pretty huge drawback; when I use too much of it, it fries my brain and I’m completely dumb until it wears off. It’s annoying.”

Hitoshi made a full-body turn.

“Your Quirk has _that kind_ of drawback? And your parents haven’t found a way around it, like a battery to store the excess?”

“We aren’t rich, and these things cost a really pretty yen. Nah, we don’t have the means for that. So, I’m forced to watch myself and play safe. Sucks…”

Unbeknownst to the two teens, Izuku had heard. He was lucky that Toshinori was dining with them that night, because it allowed him to mention the matter.

“An Electric Quirk that fries its user’s brain if used too much? That’s nasty. And dangerous.”

“Yeah, I noticed Denki isn’t particularly bright. It’s just a hypothesis, but maybe he loses a few brain cells every time it happens. Sure, they regenerate overtime, but… not all of them. And it cumulates. Tiny bits of permanent brain damage that keep adding up and up and up… Yagi-san, you said you were working as All Might’s secretary. Maybe you’d know someone who’s good with support items who could make a battery, or at least a dampener. Please.” The boy said with big pleading puppy eyes. “Pretty please. Denki is cool. Not that smart, that’s for sure, but he’s cool. Could you please help him?”

Go say no to a face like that. And Izuku had asked politely. Toshinori sighed. He would have done it regardless, but now he really had to do it. The item was ready a week later, a pair of blue headphones that served as both a battery and a dampener. Denki was very grateful.

The action firmly solidified the friendship between Izuku, Hitoshi, Kyoka and Denki, who joined the pair in their urban activities. Kyoka, being a musician, was happy to have somewhere to perform freely while Denki turned to be an amazing dancer. Hitoshi had a certain knack for moving around and often came closest to beating Michiro in their races, while Izuku was hand-down the best painter.

The mind-manipulator had the occasion to show off his skills during a basketball game at the school. When one of his classmates accidentally activated his super-strength and sent the ball on the school’s roof, Hitoshi shared a glance with the rest of his friends. Denki and Kyoka looked way while Izuku shrugged. Grinning, Hitoshi went to the gutter and scaled it under the gasp of his classmates and to the shock of his school teachers. It was easy. The school was only two stories high. The climb was fast, and the basketball soon went down. Hitoshi followed through the same path. For some reason, the teacher didn’t seem happy.

“That was incredibly risky, Shinso-kun. I would appreciate that you didn’t pull such stunt again. Besides, I thought I had forbidden willing use of Quirks…”

“Sensei, you are misunderstanding.” Hitoshi said sweetly. “My Quirk lets me brainwash people. It has nothing to do with my agility. What you saw there was pure skill.”

The teacher was obviously embarrassed.

“…Still, I would appreciate you didn’t do it again. This stunt was risky, especially without Quirk!”

“I’ve done much worse with Michiro-sensei.” Hitoshi mumbled.

He wasn’t wrong. Rooftop-hopping was usually more dangerous than climbing gutters. Four months after the four teens became friends, an incident happened with Izuku and his powers. It was barely less bad than Aldera.

A heavy rain was falling and the four young teens were at the Midoriya household to do some group work. Having fallen short on snacks, Izuku had offered to buy some at the local grocery store. It was a short walk, and the boy had his Noises in a pinch. Nothing to worry about, right?

As he passed under a bridge, closed bag in his hands, a gooey villain sprung on him and made him reconsider.

“Don’t worry, I’m just hijacking your body. Calm down.”

Izuku fought back as the sludge invaded his airways. He wanted to summon Noises to tear the villain, but the sensation of goo in his nose and mouth made it hard to focus. This also meant Cacophony was out of question. He needed focus and a clear mind to use the move safely.

“Stop struggling, it will only hurt for forty-five seconds. Then it will be all over. You’re a real life-saver, you know, kid? My personal hero…”

His breath was running out. Izuku’s mind was in overdrive. In his head, the cacophony thrummed louder than ever. The teen balled his fists. He had to use it somehow but what to do? The feeling of his nails on his skin gave him a split-second idea: instead of using Cacophony around him, he focused on the storm of noise and spread it _on his skin_. It worked. Soon, his whole body was engulfed in static as it morphed.

Toshinori was walking with Michiro to the Midoriyas’ house when a scream echoed from under a bridge. The two men headed there, along with Death Arm and Backdraft. They were just in time to see a sludge-bodied man hurriedly crawling from under a bridge with a look of panic on its “face”. From the shadows jumped a green humanoid creature holding a sphere of green energy it slammed in his head. The sludge guy reacted, using his body to engulf the creature. It was in vain. A neon-green graffiti claw tore through the sludge, shrouded in green energy. It was soon followed by the rest of the body. Michiro and Toshinori looked at one another.

“Its style is exactly like that of Izuku’s Noises.”

“Do you think…”

The creature was fully out now, and it was hacking relentlessly at the sludge man, clawing his eyes and mouth as its face was contorted in a snarl. The creature was dead silent, yet with the face it was making, Death Arm had no doubt it would be screaming its lungs out if it wasn’t mute.

The non-graffiti part of his body, namely its head and torso, was a beautiful emerald shade. Meanwhile, its arms and bendy legs were a vibrant neon green and looked somewhat skeletal. The creature also had a pair of graffiti wings in the same color and, instead of hair, its mane was a tangle of line-green graffiti curls with a pair of long rabbit-like ears. No tail. All in all, Michiro was reminisced of a humanoid rabbit Noise.

It was vicious as one too. People kept saying how wild rabbits were fighters. The creature was no exception, splattering the sludge guy all over the asphalt. It was only when the mutant man stopped moving that the humanoid Noise did the same. It remained still, taking a moment to compose itself. Then it looked around and saw Michiro and Toshinori. The look of sheer terror spoke for itself. Instantly, it leaped away and dived under the bridge. While Death Arm and Backdraft set to pick up the sludge man, Toshinori and Michiro went after the humanoid Noise. They found it trying to hide in the shadows. On a hunch, Michiro said a name.

“Izuku?”

The creature flinched and looked away. Michiro held a hand.

“Izuku, is that you? Hey, kid.”

Izuku desperately tried to hide. The neon color of his limbs made the task impossible. Michiro carefully stepped toward the transformed teen, muttering soothing words. Toshinori noticed the dropped grocery bag nearby. The pieces together painted an ugly scene… After much soothing and coaxing, Izuku finally transformed back. It was indeed him, but his face was a mix of fright and sorrow. Michiro held the boy tight.

“Alright, kid. Take your time. What happened here?”

“It’s… that sludge guy. He tried to… to… hijack me. Kill me. I-I couldn’t use Cacophony, my head wasn’t clear so… so I… I used it on me. I used Cacophony on me, instead of around me. I transformed and then… I fought back. Hard.”

Toshinori’s blood went cold. The sludge guy had tried to kill Izuku? If heh ad been alone, he would have transformed on the spot and handed the villain to the police personally. As it was, he didn’t have to. Death Arm peeked.

“Excuse me? The sludge man surrendered himself. He said he tried to kill the kid but better us than, and I quote, _that graffiti monster brat_.”

Michiro and Toshinori glared.

“Good.”

Tohinori picked the bag. Michiro picked Izuku. The teen was fairly athletic, but the courier was two meters tall for a solid hundred kilos of pure muscle. While the Heroes delivered the villain to the police station, the two men brought the shaken teen home. Denki perked up when they entered.

“Hey, Zuku, took you long enough! I thought it was… just a short walk…”

The whole room went silent. Toshinori put the bag away while Michiro sat Izuku in the sofa.

“Inko-san, can you please make some warm, sweet tea? We could use some right now.”

“Michiro, what happened?”

It was Toshinori who answered.

“A sludge villain thought Young Izuku was an easy target. Izuku found a new way to use his Quirk and summarily ripped him to shreds. Only his unusual biology allowed the villain to survive, and the beating was brutal enough he surrendered to the Heroes.”

The room went silent. Even Inko, who was brewing the tea, stopped in her tracks. Kyoka blinked.

“He did what, exactly?”

“Instead of using Cacophony around him since he wasn’t sure he could control it…” Michiro explained. “He spread Cacophony on himself. It transformed him into a humanoid Noise that was powerful enough to completely dominate the villain. The reason he’s so shaken is because his retaliation was… brutal. When Toshinori-san said Kiddo had ripped that villain to shreds, he meant it literally.”

The three teens gulped. Izuku was still quivering on the sofa. His mother gave him a cup of tea while Hitoshi sat by his side and held him. Izuku buried himself in his arms. Denki and Kyoka joined soon after. The group project was unanimously put on hold. It could wait until their friend felt better.

This was the first time Izuku used Apotheosis.

* * *

Remember the Reapers' Cantus form in TWEWY ? That's Apotheosis in a nutshell. Naturally, Izuku's Cantus form is based on a rabbit. Also, after consideration, I decided to call Izuku's Quirk Graffiti Heart like the story's title, so that part is settled.

To make Noises, Izuku hums specific tunes to help himself focus. Any track of the fitting category can work but Izuku being so overanalytical, he naturally has a book with his Noise list, what they can do and what track to use. I named some in this chapter. More are right below (but since my personal memo is at 111 different Noises, I am **not** going to list them all in one go!)

-

Garage Wolf: [The Velvet Underground - Run, run, run](https://youtu.be/EwHIs7IafD0)

Alterna Wolf : [Godsmack - Bad Religion](https://youtu.be/mz71p3pt2tI)

Grunge Wolf: [Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit](https://youtu.be/UGqDQKLUXko)

-

Carcinofolk: [Led Zeppelin - The Battle of Evermore](https://youtu.be/7_3yDImIQYU)

Carcinoska: [The Skatalites, Gun of Navarone](https://youtu.be/wtESlTKBa4s)

Carcinometal: [Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath](https://youtu.be/MTHBEbivfZI)

Carcinosamp: [Pink Floyds - Echoes](https://youtu.be/KBca3xf-j3o)

Carcinopunk: [Sex Pistols - Anarchy in the UK](https://youtu.be/qbmWs6Jf5dc)

-

Reggae Cat: [Bob Marley - I Shot the Sheriff](https://youtu.be/2XiYUYcpsT4)

Celticat: [Antti Martikainen - From the Fields of Gallia](https://youtu.be/WBmFyRfwEiA)

Bluescat: [Cab Calloway - Blues in the Night](https://youtu.be/Kv0x61XsGa4)

Ethnicat: [Los Kjarkas - Bolivias](https://youtu.be/kz1tK94iON8)

-

Indie Rabbbeat: [Toby Fox - Megalovania](https://youtu.be/wDgQdr8ZkTw)

Jazz Rabbeat: [Louis Armstrong - What a Wonderful World](https://youtu.be/ltVOXz4mxOo)

March Rabbeat: [Richard Wagner - Gotterdamerüng, Siegfried's Funeral March](https://youtu.be/a53s4jyCqqU)

Nu Rabbeat: [Limp Bizkit - Take a Look Around](https://youtu.be/f1q30pwEf-A)

Soul Rabbeat: [Aretha Franklin - Respect](https://youtu.be/6FOUqQt3Kg0)

And that's all for now. Phew...


	4. Trial by sound and color

Izuku looked at the maze. Shadda’s Crossing was a mishmash of small alleys, stairs and rooftops near his neighborhood whose design made it the perfect place for training free-running. It was where Michiro had taught them, he and Hitoshi at first, and then Denki and Kyoka. They had even painted arrows on the walls to indicate different courses – with actual spray paint, of course.

The green course stayed close to the ground and was meant for beginners. The orange course was halfway between the ground and the rooftops and provided an entertaining challenge. The red course went straight for the rooftops and was definitely the more dangerous. At the height it was, a fall could be lethal.

Izuku stretched. It had taken a lot of time and hard bargaining to get the right to use the place. In the end, however, the authorities had acknowledged the place as an official Quirk Training Ground under the supervision of four people: Michiro Honda, Inko Midoriya, Toshinori Yagi and Naomasa Tsukauchi. Each had a copy of the document and, so long as someone was approved by one of the four, they were allowed to train at Shadda’s. Being connected to three of the quartet, Izuku naturally had that right.

The teen focused. It had been three years since he’d first used Apotheosis. His brutal beatdown of the sludge villain had been rightfully chalked up to self-defense and first use of a new aspect of his Quirk. He had thus been completely forgiven. Still, Apotheosis was as delicate to use as Cacophony, especially since it had the same basis. Inhaling, Izuku let the storm of sound seep over his left arm first, then his right and finally his legs. Static sizzled as the limbs morphed to take a neon green graffiti appearance. Izuku nodded and, delicately manipulating his phone, put some [music](https://youtu.be/OXBcBugpHZg).

Then he ran. The graffiti limbs were stronger than his flesh ones. They made him faster, longer strides taking him further and further into the maze as the music thrummed, frantic. He took the orange course, not the easiest or the hardest but the most technical in his opinion. Having four limbs morphed meant he could alternate bipedal and quadrupedal locomotion, his spine not being made for constant quadrupedal running. That’s exactly what he did, pouncing to a ledge before turning right up a flight of stairs – left! Across the wall, claws digging in the concrete, keeping him stuck as he ran on all four. Pounce again, two legs this time across the walkway, then the rooftop and jump across the gap, high enough to break an ankle, not a neck. Forward still, then up against the wall. Normally, it should be the gutter but his claws were too sharp. Concrete wall it was. Up the roof, then a left turn and across another gap, then down below by the gutter but his limbs could take the recoil. He still rolled to disperse the momentum. His throat didn’t burn. He had a lot of stamina. He kept moving forward, leaping, sliding, pouncing left, right, right, left, forward, left, forward… and he was back at the start. The orange race made a loop across the Crossing.

Izuku breathed and switched to something quieter. He didn’t need the rush anymore. His limbs morphed back to normal.

“And done. I think I got the hang of it now.”

“Looks like you do indeed, Zuku.”

Izuku smiled and turned to the feminine voice. Amelia Tanner had joined their merry band a year and a half ago. She was a tall and fairly buxom American brunette usually wearing a longcoat with a black bandana and thin leather gloves. A bag was hanging across her chest. Izuku knew it contained a powerful laptop.

Amelia’s Quirk was called Digital Mind and gave her instinctive knowledge of how to use anything informatic. It made her an amazing hacker. Izuku was pretty sure this was why she was in Japan: either she pissed off the wrong people or she discovered a secret that should have remained one. Now, people wanted her dead. He was willing to bet “Amelia Tanner” wasn’t even her real name.

Amelia grinned. A Gabba Bat flew to her holding a camera.

“Those critters of yours are even better than drones – and they can’t be hacked. I got your whole race in there.”

“You’re gonna post it online again?”

“Maybe. Maybe not. What music did you use?”

Izuku showed her. Amelia hummed.

“Maybe. I think I’ll make a montage. As it is, with just the music, it isn’t unique enough to draw attention. A montage of free-runners using their Quirks? More interesting. I know I have recordings of Ingenium and the Crawler somewhere. Maybe I should add Michiro too. For diversity. Or Mirko.”

“Do whatever you want. Shadda’s Crossing is a Quirk Training Ground. Racing around is the place’s purpose.”

Amelia nodded.

“By the way, U. A’s entrance exam is tomorrow. Do you feel ready?”

“As I could ever be. I’m glad Denki managed to pass the written exam. It wasn’t exactly hard but, well, Denki’s Denki.”

“Yeah, Firefly isn’t very bright. He got his Quirk to curse for that. This said, given what you told me, his brain damage could be much worse. Good thing you gave him that dampener.”

“Yeah… Speaking of U.A, how’s your job doing?”

“Nezu’s been riding my ass about upping the system’s security, and I was glad to oblige. Not that it was shady in the first place but, for all his know-how, Power Loader isn’t a dedicated informatician. Nezu hired me because they needed a specialist. I’d like to say they got it.”

“That’s what your Quirk is all about in the first place.”

“IT girl for a Hero school.” Amelia chuckled. “I wish I’d had that job back in the States! If only… You know, Japan’s very lucky to have All Might. Not every country has the chance to have a Symbol of Peace.”

Izuku looked at her, curious. Amelia sighed.

“Some countries are crime-ridden, either because there aren’t enough Heroes around or because the villains are simply too strong. Some states in the US are like that. Back there, people who want safety have to adopt drastic measures. If justice can’t do its job, then the locals will make their own justice. I have seen it firsthand. In fact, I was even part of it… Sorry, bad memories. I came to Japan to move from this stuff, but let me tell you one thing: not every criminal dress in black with a balaclava. Sometimes, they wear three-piece suits and carry a briefcase full of money.”

Izuku nodded. Amelia’s words pretty much confirmed his suspicions.

The next day, he, Hitoshi, Kyoka and Denki stood before the gates of U.A. Denki hummed.

“It looks smaller than on the pictures.”

“U.A is the most prestigious Hero school of Japan.” Izuku recalled. “All Might, Endeavor, Best Jeanist, Hawks, Mirko… The highest-ranking Pro Heroes are graduates, but the admittance is less than one in a hundred. Competition is tough.”

“So are we.” Hitoshi smirked. “Ready to take it by a storm?”

Kyoka stretched.

“Together, we can overcome any hurdle. We will become Heroes, all four of us, no matter what society tells us.”

“Our powers aren’t good or evil. We alone decide that.” Hitoshi recited.

“There is more to us than meets the eyes. Don’t judge us simply by our looks.” Denki added.

Kyoka closed her eyes.

“We will be Heroes, but there is a person behind this mask. Never forget this fact.”

“We will never judge, for we know what it’s like to be judged.” Izuku finished.

The words were their oath, a reminder and a promise both. The four put their hands together. Izuku turned to the school.

“Time to become Heroes.”

They were nearing the entrance when a voice Izuku had almost forgotten echoed.

“Deku? Dafuq are you doing there!?”

Izuku froze. He knew that voice. It had been literal years since he’d last heard it, but he still heard it in his nightmares, sometimes.

“Kacchan. Of course, you would be there.”

Hitoshi, Kyoka and Denki turned to Izuku, then to the voice. It belonged to a spiky blonde teen with red eyes and an angry scowl who was directly looking at their friend. Hitoshi tensed. Izuku had told him a few times about Aldera. It always made his skin crawl.

“Katsuki Bakugo. You used to be Izuku’s bully.”

“Uh? I’m not talking to you, Droopy Eyes.”

He had answered to him. Hitoshi could use his Quirk any moment, now.

“Of course, you’re not. Izuku told me about you a few times. From what I’m seeing, you’re exactly as he described.”

Bakugo turned to Izuku.

“Deku, who are the extras?”

In the past, Izuku would have cowered in fear, tears welling in his eyes as he begged Kacchan not to hurt him. But he’d changed. He had grown. He stood straight and confident, arms crossed, and Bakugo didn’t miss the spark of defiance in his eyes.

“They are my friends, Kacchan. My precious friends who I would go to Hell and back for. Now, leave us. We’re going to be late.”

On this, he turned and walked away, leaving a dumbstruck Bakugo behind. Hitoshi, Kyoka and Denki followed, the mind-manipulator silently glad he didn’t have to use his power. In the amphitheater, Present Mic welcomed the candidates like the talk show host he was… and got a more than tepid reaction. Internally wincing, the teacher proceeded to explain the entrance exam. Izuku frowned as they were presented with the enemies. On a hunch, he raised his hand.

“Excuse me, sir? What exactly will the enemies be like? Will they be people or artificial dummies…?”

“An excellent question, examinee 2702, and vague enough that I can answer. They will be artificial, of course. You won’t face people during the exam but machines we prepared specifically for the occasion. I won’t tell you more.”

Hitoshi cursed. The other three winced in sympathy.

“Machines… My Quirk isn’t going to work on that, it only affects people!”

“This scenario is the worst that could happen to you.” Kyoka frowned. “Against machines, you are essentially powerless.”

“If you want to pass, you’ll have to cheat.” Denki considered. “Wait, he did say we could bring whatever we wanted with us, right?”

Izuku had come to the same conclusion and had already grabbed three blank cans of paint. Humming Scott Joplin’s The Entertainer, he charged the first with a teal and black dragon, then snuck it to his friend. Hitoshi gave it a look.

“Ragtime Drake? Seriously? I was going for something a bit smaller…”

“You got something specific in mind?”

“I was thinking along the lines of a Rhino.”

“Hm. House, Minimal, Dub or Trance?”

After hesitating, Hitoshi picked Minimal. Izuku hummed Terry Riley’s A Rainbow in Curved Air as the can charged with the Noise. Finally, he charged the last with Hitoshi’s favorite.

“And a can of Bluescat. Here you go, Hitochan.”

Toshi was, unfortunately, already taken. Hitoshi pocketed the three cans and winced as Present Mic shouted the school’s motto. As they left, they noticed the teen who had interrupted the teacher about the fourth opponent was glaring at them. Izuku walked closer to his friends. He was stern, build like a tank and his glasses didn’t help at all. Then he got in the same bus as him and Izuku started to really worry. To soothe his nerves, he summoned an Indie Rabbeat he stroked carefully. The Rabbeat lay against his chest. More than an examinee couldn’t help but coo at the critter, but a new muttered about the style. Izuku sighed. The tall glassy teen was still glaring at him.

The examinees massed before the gates. As they got out, the teen muttered.

“We’re up against machines… Which track should I use? I know I got something in my electro-techno playlist. Now, what will it be?”

He took his phone and browsed the playlist. It was quite large in size and it took him time before he set his mind.

“Let’s see, Blood Rave? Nah, wrong context. Clubbed to Death? Getting closer already. Oh, oh… Yeah, this one will do.”

“Excuse me, could you please stop doing that? There are people there who are trying to focus.”

Izuku flinched. As he thought, it was the tall glassy teen. Problem was, he had drawn everyone’s attention to him. He sighed, put back his phone and held his Rabbeat.

“Sorry, that wasn’t my intention.”

He knew he better hold his judgment against the other teen, but his impression so far was nothing positive. He turned to the gate. It was… actually narrower than he thought. And the crowd was massing before it. He frowned and summoned his wings, the storm of sound flowing like static against his skin. The taller teen took a step back, clearly not expecting the meek green-haired boy’s Quirk to do that. Izuku didn’t care. Indie Rabbeat in a hand and phone in the other, he waited for Present Mic’s voice.

“_And… begin!_”

The door opened. Izuku smirked and pressed Play. As the other examinees reacted, the [music](https://youtu.be/KWXZLpXWEa0) thrummed and Izuku took flight, overpassing everyone. The first robot he saw was a one-pointer. Smirking, he threw the Indie Rabbeat at it. The Noise lost no time hacking into its wires, its graffiti hindlegs leaving deep dents in its neck until the robot was well and truly beheaded. A two-pointer was close by. Izuku summarily dive-bombed it, limbs morphing into graffiti mid-dive. Its stinger tail tried to get him. The boy grabbed it and redirected it at a one-pointer it helplessly shot. The one-pointer was finished by a boy who fired a laser from his navel. Izuku turned to his own target, tore its tail then ripped off its head. Leaping back, he focused on a familiar song and summoned a pair of Alterna Wolves. His Indie Rabbeat joined them. The teen grinned.

“Let’s get them, boys.”

They dived into the fray, the Wolves playing tug-o-war with a one-pointer while the Indie Rabbeat leaped at the face of a three-pointer, distracting it long enough Izuku finished his robot and ran at it. His claws left deep gashes as he tore panel after panel until he finally dived his arm in the machine’s core and ripped it out.

Yeah, he wasn’t a clean fighter. But those were robots. He could afford it. He didn’t really see time go, too focused on tearing the pointers apart with his Noises. Then he noticed a steel-skinned teen who was trying to get from under a broken three-pointer. Izuku didn’t hesitate. He ran as a red-haired girl with massive hands did the same. Together, they had no trouble lifting the robot as one Alterna Wolf dragged the boy.

“Thanks, guys. I hope you pass.”

“You’re welcome. And same to you.”

On this, the girl balled the pointer with her hands and nailed a one-pointer the tall glassy teen was rushing to. The ball of scrap nailed the robot, forcing the teen to step on the brakes before he collided with a wall.

Then a sound echoed. A metallic sound, loud and threatening. Everybody tensed. Metal notes started playing in Izuku’s head as his phone shifted to the next [track](https://youtu.be/XqJkdsqeDxw). When the zero-pointer appeared, he couldn’t decide between summoning a Noise and running away. The steel-skinned boy starred.

“Well, shit. Time to run.”

“Yeah.” The red-haired girl agreed.

The robot moved, a single swipe ravaging the surroundings. Izuku was about to run when he noticed someone, a brunette girl lying on the pavement, her face in pain. Through the dust, he thought he saw something red around her leg.

Forget running. As the zero-pointer prepared another swing, he jumped to the girl and held a hand. Almost like a reflex, the Goth Metal Drake sprung to life and roared, flying straight to the robot’s head. Its red orbs rammed into its body as its claws and horns hacked it.

The steel-skinned student stopped dead in his tracks and turned to the redhead.

“Is it bad that I want to watch that?”

The girl was inclined to agree, and she wasn’t the only one. The blonde boy with the navel laser and the tall glassy teen had also gathered. Meanwhile, Izuku was holding the girl. She yelped when she tried to move her leg. Izuku winced. Indeed, her left leg had a nasty bruise on it.

“It’s not good. I can’t move…”

“Here, ride this, then.”

In a flash of static, the boy summoned a white unicorn with green swirly graffiti mane, tail and lower legs. The unicorn whined.

“Pony Turbo.” Izuku explained. “This is my fastest horse Noise. If you can’t use your legs, it will replace them.”

The girl grimaced but accepted and got on the creature.

“What about you? You don’t plan on fighting that thing, are you?”

“I crushed more than a handful of pointers with my Noises. I think I got enough points to pass. You and the others focus on finishing the test while I take care of this one.”

“But how?” The zero-pointer had slammed the Drake into a building. “Your dragon doesn’t look like it’s doing good.”

“Don’t worry.” Izuku said as he summoned a Woolly AOR. “I still got a few aces up my sleeve. You and the others finish the test. I’ve got this.”

Then he got on the elephant who trumpeted. The girl obeyed, spurring her ride. The steel boy, redhead, blonde boy and tall glassy teen reluctantly turned away to focus on the test. Izuku watched them leave before turning to the zero-pointer, who had just dispelled the Drake. His glare was harsh.

“Looks like I’ll have to use it, in the end. I never like using it, nor do I like using Apotheosis.”

He closed his eyes and focused.

_Moving flesh good. Moving metal bad. Protect moving flesh. Crush kill destroy moving metal. Crush kill destroy really big one there first. Target big one first. Priority target: the zero-pointer._

Then he removed his earphones and spoke a single word.

“_Cacophony._”

A storm of static sizzled around him. Then, pandemonium.

Ochako winced as the unicorn carried her. The ride was smooth, but her leg still ached. She tagged a one-pointer. The robot started floating, only to be lacerated by her mount’s wind blades. The girl grinned.

“Thanks for the assist.”

The unicorn nodded and sent a pressurized wind sphere that smacked into a three-pointer which was summarily demolished by the steel-skinned boy, Tetsutetsu. Nearby, Iida, the strong teenager with the glasses kicked a two-pointer straight at the red-haired girl, Kendo, who crushed it with her huge hands. Yuga, the blonde boy who fired lasers, nailed one who was sneaking on her. Her mount kicked its remains away.

Monsters like her mount started appearing left and right, protecting the other examinees. They barely ever took down pointers, instead focusing more on shielding and weakening the teens. A blue and purple jellyfish hugged the face of a three-pointer Kendo destroyed. A red and pink turtle took a shot meant for Yuga. Three ravens harassed a pointer that was targeting Tetsutetsu. Small things, but it gave them openings. Ochako wondered if the boy was done with the zero-pointer and had summoned them as back-up.

At last, Present Mic called the test over. Everyone breathed while the creatures retreated, gathering around their master. The huge purple elephant walked to the teens… who immediately noticed something was off. The green-haired boy was hunched over his mount, head low and earphones hanging clearly from his vest, static sizzling in the air around him, spawning monster after monster. He was completely unresponsive to any attempt, and the reason became clear when the elephant trumpeted gently and lay him down with its trunk. Kendo gasped.

“He’s unconscious!?”

Everyone could see the blank look through his half-opened eyes, along with the thin trail of droll on his mouth. Tetsutetsu looked a little further and jumped.

“**Holy shit!**”

The zero-pointer wasn’t just down. The boy’s monsters had utterly demolished it, reducing it to a pile of torn-up, half-melted and thoroughly battered scrap metal. Three different dragons were still growling at the robot while a pair of crocodiles were toying with a piece of plate and a unicorn wreathed in graffiti fire kept puffing flames at the machine. Next to it, a purple, red, black and yellow rhinoceros was sharpening its massive graffiti horn on the head. Kendo winced.

“Power at a price. He can summon an endless stream of graffiti creatures at the cost of falling unconscious.”

“A most dangerous technique.” Iida frowned. “Now, how do we wake him up?”

“Recovery Girl is there.” Yuga informed “_Par chance_, she will know.”

However, after giving them all candy, Recovery Girl had to admit she was helpless.

“My Quirk only heals physical injuries. Brain disruptions fall outside my competence field. This said, I noticed this young man has a phone on him. Luckily, one of his contacts will be familiar with the situation.”

The top of his speed-dial list was simply labelled Mom. They decided to call it. If someone knew the issue, it had to be his mother. Recovery Girl put the phone on loudspeaker.

“_Sweetie?_” A feminine voice rang. “_You’re calling early. Is the test finished already?_”

“Madam, this is Recovery Girl, from U.A facility. We are calling because your son suffered an ailment during the entrance exam.”

There was a beat.

“_…An ailment?_”

“Yes. Your son has lost consciousness and his Quirk is constantly generating graffiti animals. Do you know how we could snap him out?”

Everyone heard the woman breathe in relief.

“_Oh, good, he just used Cacophony. I’m not going to ask for details, he will give them when he gets home._”

“You’re not worried, Madam?” Iida asked, surprised.

“_Not the slightest. Cacophony is one of Sweetie’s deadliest moves. Whatever he used it against, I have no doubt it is currently incapable of harm. Sweetie is always mindful with this technique, and for good reason. He is always worried the command he gave before using it won’t be precise enough. As for how to snap him out, just play musique at full volume and give him back his earphones. Having a melody to focus on will bring him back._”

The woman’s answers raised several questions they decided could wait later. Instead, Recovery Girl noticed a track was currently playing. She upped the volume and put the earphones back in Izuku’s ears. The teen shuddered, his eyes blinking back to life.

“Ow, my head… I always get a headache when I use it.”

He rose and stood, looking at the scenery around him. He was quick to notice the zero-pointer. Sighing, Izuku started dismissing his Noises, each dissolving in a burst of static, even the Woolly after a final caress. He still kept Ochako’s Pony. Recovery Girl hadn’t healed her yet.

“You guys managed to rake a few more points?”

“Yeah, your monsters helped a lot. Saved our hides a few times.” Tetsutetsu grinned.

“Good. I was worried my command was too vague. I get it none of them hurt you.”

“They focused on the pointers.” Kendo reassured. “You have nothing to worry about on this side.”

“Still, that was a very risky technique.” Iida noted. “How could you be sure your monsters wouldn’t go after us? Wait, stupid question. You said it worried you.”

“Actually, whenever I summon a Noise, I focus on a specific attitude beforehand: friendly, protective or aggressive toward one specific target.” Izuku explained. “However, when I use Cacophony, I focus on the storm of sound in my head and force it out, which is why the Noises never stop appearing. I’m completely lost in the storm when it happens, and I only use it to deal with situations of life and death, so I need to ‘preset’ my Noises, so to say. I focus on the targets that need to be taken down, then I tell them everyone else is to be protected. Then I activate Cacophony. My biggest fear is that I skipped someone when ascertaining who to protect. In this case, it was easy: destroy moving metal, protect moving flesh, focus on big moving metal.”

The group looked at one another. The boy’s explanation certainly clarified some things. Tenya made a note to be a bit more polite when interacting with the teen. He didn’t want to be on the receiving end of a rhino, much less a dragon, just because he had angered him.

The test was over. Izuku gathered with his friends at the exit.

“How did you guys do?”

“I’ve never been so glad to have a Drake on hand.” Hitoshi shuddered. “When that zero-pointer showed up, I emptied the cans of Drake and Rhinos and ran like hell while they fought. To be fair, so did everyone else. They managed to hold it until the test was over.”

“What, you ran?” Denki laughed. “When that thing showed up, I zapped it to empty the battery, then I recovered it and fried it with Indiscriminate Discharge. The battery held.”

“Great. It’s doing its purpose well.” Izuku grinned. “Kyoka?”

“We got the zero-pointer too, but it was a team effort.” The girl smiled. “I was with a girl who could generate acid and a boy who generated powerful glue. He stuck the zero-pointer in one place so the girl to corrode it and I finished by blasting it away with my Quirk.”

Hitoshi grumbled. Izuku comforted him.

“Hey, as we said, this scenario is the worst that could happen to you. It’s just not fair for people whose Quirks only influence sentient or organic things. Don’t beat yourself over it.”

Hitoshi smiled. This was what he liked about Izuku. Whenever one of them was down, the green-haired artist always knew how to cheer them up. They returned the favor as often as they could.

“Let’s go home. Soon, we will know if we’re admitted or not.”

Denki laughed.

“Hopefully, we all will!”

* * *

Trivia bit: Shadda's Crossing is named after Nar Shaddaa, the city-moon orbiting over Nal Hutta and visited in The Old Republic. And Amelia, with her Quirk and her past, references a character from a video game by Ubisoft who may or may not appear later in the story.

Finally, it looks like Izuku is in control of both Cacophony and Apotheosis… and Kacchan returns. Watch out.


	5. First class

“Sweetie, there it is!”

Izuku ran from his room and grabbed the envelope. Instead of a letter like he had thought, there was a small holographic projector. The teen didn’t activate it. Instead, he took his phone and sent a text to his friend… only to receive three at the exact same time.

“_I got it!_”

There was a beat. Then Kyoka sent a message.

“_Meet at the basketball field?_”

The three boys sent the same answer.

“_Yes._”

Izuku called his mother.

“Mom, we’re meeting at the basketball field to watch it together.”

“Got it, sweetie. I’ll come along and bring snacks and sodas. Don’t forget to warn Michiro and Amelia-san. They will want to be there too.”

There was a knock on the door as Izuku texted the two adults. Toshinori entered.

“Inko-san. Young Izuku. How are you doing?”

“We all received the answer.” Izuku answered. “We’re meeting at the basketball field to watch it. You want to come along, Toshi-san?”

The shriveled man smiled.

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

They gathered at their training ground half an hour later. The four teenagers were all excited, and the sight of snacks and sodas didn’t help at all. Izuku nudged Hitoshi.

“You go first.”

“Why?”

“Because the test was the hardest for you. You’re the least likely to have passed, so let’s make sure you did first.”

Hitoshi nodded and activated the device. The huge silhouette of All Might almost took them by surprise.

“_I am there as a projection! Young Shinso, you passed the written exam with high marks but only scored twenty at the practical. One point less and you would have failed to pass…_”

The four teens looked at one another.

“This means that…”

“I passed?”

“With the bare minimum, but you did.” Michiro grinned.

Amelia frowned.

“Wait before celebrating. There’s more.”

But Hitoshi had passed. Despite the blatant unfairness of the test, he had managed to pass. The teen’s heart was steadily soaring in his chest as the video continued.

“_However, the entrance exam wasn’t solely graded on villain points. After all, how can the Hero Course reject people who save others and do the right thing? That would be hypocritical. Come on, this is a job that requires risking one’s life for the sake of others! This is why we have this ranking that uses rescue points. Given by a panel of judges, this is the other basic ability we at U.A look for._”

A video played. The group recognized it as Hitoshi’s exam.

_As the zero-pointer appeared, the purple-haired teen took the can of Ragtime Drake. At his side, a girl with huge eyes and a long tongue starred at the monster._

_“…Ribbit.”_

_“Yeah.” Hitoshi winced. “Run away. I got something that will hold it off.”_

_“You don’t plan to fight it, ribbit? You said your Quirk was useless against robots.”_

_“I don’t plan to fight it.” Hitoshi retorted as he pressed the nozzle. “I’ll just send my strongest monsters against it and hope they’ll hold it until the test is over. Present Mic said two more minutes.”_

_Three Ragtime Drakes appeared in a flash of static. Hitoshi whistled and three Minimal Rhinos joined his side. He pressed the Minimal can and summoned one more Rhino to his side._

_“Get it!” He ordered. “Get that pest! Attack the zero-pointer now!”_

_The Noises charged. Hitoshi ran the other way. He was almost caught by falling debris before the thorny hair of a girl dragged him away._

All Might grinned.

“_Technically, the zero-pointer gives no points upon destruction. However, is isn’t uncommon that brave people take it on regardless, not for the challenge or their own glory but because it is threatening the other examinees and they, selflessness in their heart, charge at it in the hope of protecting them. Then the zero-pointer rewards points, for rescue. Young Shinso, even though you ran, you did it after summoning creatures to hold off the pointer. For this, you earned rescue points. Fifty, to be exact._”

Hitoshi’s score appeared. Villain points: 20. Rescue points, 50. Total score, 70. All Might stood tall.

“_Hitoshi Shinso, this is your Hero Academia._”

The four teens looked at one another.

“…I passed. I passed!”

“With flying colors, man!” Denki laughed.

Izuku tackled his friend.

“You did it! You really made it!”

Hitoshi laughed, clear and free. His chest was feeling lighter than ever, even as his friends hugged him and dogpiled him on the asphalt. Michiro beamed and opened a can of soda.

“To our passing boy! Three more to go!”

Hitoshi took it, tears in his eyes. Denki went next. Once more, All Might appeared and explained the situation. Denki hummed as his villain score appeared: a fairly decent forty points. Then came the fight against the zero-pointer.

_Denki didn’t look fazed as the hulking machine rampaged before him. In fact, he even seemed amused. A teen with spiky red hair and saw-like teeth looked at him._

_“You don’t plan to take this on, are you?”_

_“Why not? I fried more than a handful of pointers. I think I got enough to pass.”_

_“But why? You know that thing will get you zero points! Why fight it?”_

_“So you can finish the test in peace.”_

_“Uh?”_

_A girl with silver hair and a sleepy look frowned._

_“I understand. While you challenge the zero-pointer, the rest of us can focus on the remaining machines and earn a greater score for ourselves. This is very selfless of you.”_

_“If you think I’m selfless, you haven’t met my best friend.”_

_Denki then strolled to the robot, almost casually. When the machine swung at him, he lunged forward, dodging the move while grabbing his battery. The item flew to the zero-pointer and delivered a taser jolt upon contact. It stunned it enough that the electric blonde could grab the battery, put it back and charge his attack._

_“**Indiscriminate Discharge.**”_

_The silver-haired girl held the redhead before he could join him. It saved him. Lightning flew from Denki’s body, shocking everything around him. The zero-pointer was left a smoking husk. Just to be sure, the teen also emptied the battery and turned to the pair._

_“Here. I think we can finish the test quietly, now.”_

All Might grinned.

“_Young Kaminari, such bravado could have easily been mistaken for challenge-seeking, but the recordings got your conversation, and it was obvious you acted for the sake of the examinees. As such, the jury awarded you rescue points for taking down the zero-pointer: thirty._”

Denki’s score finally appeared in full. Villain points: 40. Rescue points: 30. Total score: 70. The blonde turned to Hitoshi.

“We scored even!”

“Yeah, you two got the same score!”

“_Denki Kaminari, this is your Hero Academia._”

A new round of happy laugh ensued. Kyoka then activated her own projector. All Might appeared and gave his little spiel, which they listened patiently until they got to the girl’s score, a rather average thirty-three. What followed was the explanation about the rescue points and the part everyone was waiting for: the fight against the zero-pointer. The group watched the recording intensely.

_Kyoka grit her teeth as the robot rolled._

_“…Fuck this. I’m fighting it.”_

_“What? Are you crazy!?”_

_The girl turned to the other examinee. It was a yellow golem-looking teen with a sort of sandcastle for a head. She had seen him spew glue against the pointers._

_“No. That thing terrifies me and I want to run away, but if I run, it will start targeting us, taking god knows how many of us before the test ends. I need to stop it, or at least slow it down until everyone cleared the place.”_

_“Going against that monster is suicide.”_

_“I know. Someone still has to do it. Might as well be me…”_

_The teen sighed._

_“…Fair enough. I’ll help, because there is no way you’ll last half a minute against that monster.”_

_“I’ll help too!”_

_The pair turned to a pink girl with fluffy hair and a pair of horns._

_“If you’re out to take that thing, I ‘m going to help. My Quirk generates acid. Just tell me where to aim.”_

_Kyoka nodded and turned to the golem teen._

_“Glue its tracks. First, we need it to stop moving.”_

_“Alright.”_

_“Then, while the pointer is stuck, go wild. Corrode as much as you can, then I’ll plug my jacks in and break it with my soundwaves.”_

_The plan worked flawlessly._

All Might grinned.

“_It isn’t uncommon that candidates may take on the zero-pointer, but it is even rarer that teams form in the middle of the exam. It is, after all, a competition. And yet, three examinees who didn’t know each other banded against a greater threat and prevailed. This is something extremely rare for the exam. Young Jiro, you didn’t hesitate to charge an opponent you knew outmatched you and formulated the plan that took it down. For this, the judges proudly awarded you forty-five points._”

Kyoka’s score appeared in full. Villain point: 33. Rescue points: 45. Total score: 78.

“_Kyoka Jiro, this is your Hero Academia._”

Izuku laughed.

“She got you two beat!”

“Of course, she did. Hitoshi and I have the same score!”

Michiro chuckled.

“Your turn, kid. Show us that performance of yours.”

Izuku nodded and activated his own projector. When his score came, he hummed. Thirty-five wasn’t bad. Then came the fight against the zero-pointer. The group watched as he rushed fearlessly at the machine, summoning a Goth Metal Drake to distract it as he rescued the girl. Then he summoned a Woolly and activated Cacophony. They watched as the Noises literally swarmed the zero-pointer, hacking and slashing and unleashing everyone of their abilities on the robot until it finally collapsed through the sheep power of numbers. Then the Noises turned to the remaining pointers, supporting the other examinees as they finished the test. They were everywhere, shielding the teens when they weren’t creating openings for them to take the machines.

The sight reminded Toshinori of Aldera, but in reverse. This time, the monster swarm saved people instead of mauling them.

“_Izuku Midoriya, you defeated the zero-pointer by taking a great risk unto yourself. This technique drives you unconscious and you were fully aware of its drawback, yet you sacrificed yourself for the sake of not one examinee but all of them, and your monsters carried your will by protecting the others with their life. Very rarely have I witnessed such selflessness, even less during U. A’s entrance exam. This display of heroism was difficult to rate, for few people show these qualities in such a large amount. Thus, they decided to reward you with the highest score they could give you._”

The score appeared. The group’s reaction varied from stunned silence to very loud “What the fuck!?”

One hundred and eighty rescue points. Hitoshi blinked.

“Ho. Ly. Shit.”

Denki’s jaw was on the floor.

“**You have to be kidding me!**”

Kyoka simply starred.

“Wow. Just, wow.”

“_Izuku Midoriya, you are the current holder of the highest rescue score ever earned in U. A’s history._”

His total score appeared. Villain points: 35. Rescue points: 180. Total score: 215. Michiro snickered.

“Congratulation, kid. You just broke the rating scale.”

All Might didn’t grin. He beamed.

“_Izuku Midoriya, this is you Hero Academia._"

The shock passed, everyone cheered. They whooped and hollered and congratulated the green-haired teen as Izuku felt equally embarrassed and merry. They ended sharing the drinks and the snacks, playing happy party music as they celebrated the four teens passing.

It was a great time. Of all the memories Hitoshi would make over the years, this one remained a favorite.

Unbeknownst to everyone, All Might watched them, pride swelling his chest more than One for All ever could. But they didn’t see him. The irony made him smile, that the one talking to them and congratulating them was sitting right next to them at the moment. But he didn’t care because there was nothing negative about this irony, and it meant he could have a proper celebration with them.

Soon enough, school started and the four teens gathered before U.A. It had come as a surprise that they were in the same class, but they didn’t complain. Over the years, they had become a close-knit group, and it would have saddened them to be separated.

_It wasn’t coincidence. Toshinori as All Might had taken a teacher job at U.A. and had pulled some strings to keep them together. He could recognize a Hero Agency in formation when he saw one._

“Let’s get there early so we can pick our spots.” Kyoka had wisely suggested.

Everyone had agreed. As such, there was less than a handful of people when they got there. Izuku recognized the tall glassy teen with engines in his legs, but that was it. Next to him was a teen with bicolored hair, the right side pristine white and the other a deep burgundy. The last was a girl with green hair and way too big eyes. She recognized Hitoshi, and Hitoshi recognized her.

“Asui-san? You’re in our class?” A smile crossed his face. “I am glad.”

“Likewise, Shinso-san. And please, since we’re classmates, call me Tsu.”

“…Alright, Tsu.”

The group picked a seat, Hitoshi sitting next to Izuku at the last row while Kyoka sat before the purple-haired teen and Denki before her. Tsuyu was one row on Denki’s right and the tall glassy teen was on her right. The teen made a beeline to Izuku, who tensed. Hitoshi noticed and prepared a sharp remark, just in case he would have to defend his friend.

“I recognize you. You are the boy from the Entrance Exam.” The teen smiled. “I didn’t get to introduce myself. I am Tenya Iida. Please to meet you and… sorry, for the way I treated you back then. I thought you were uncaring and disrespectful, but your selfless actions proved otherwise, especially since the technique you used has such a nasty drawback. So, let me apologize for misjudging you like this.”

_We never judge_ was a rule the foursome took seriously. Izuku smiled.

“My name is Izuku Midoriya. Pleased to meet you, Iida-san. And, to be honest, I misjudged you too. At first, I believed you were scary and stern and, well… If you’ll allow me that language, I thought you had a stick up your ass.”

Everyone in the room chocked at the words, albeit for different reasons. Tenya’s face reddened slightly. Izuku grinned sheepishly.

“But I was wrong. You’re simply concerned and earnest. And honest, too. So, I apologize for thinking such things about you. We’re even.”

“Oh. Good. You’re welcome.”

Hitoshi snickered and elbowed his friend.

“_You can add awkward to the list._”

Izuku elbowed him back. Slowly, the rest of their classmates trickled in. Denki recognized the red-haired teen who had watched him take on the zero-pointer. He was with the pink girl Kyoka had teamed up with. The pair introduced themselves as Eijiro Kirishima and Mina Ashido. Both came from the same school, which gave them something in common with the four teens. The blonde laser-firing teen arrived soon after and introduced himself as Yuga Aoyama. Izuku was wondering when the brown-haired girl he had rescued would arrive when a familiar voice echoed.

“Deku? Don’t fuckin’ say you made it!”

Izuku groaned and hid his face. Hitoshi almost snarled, ready to jump from his seat at a moment’s notice.

“Hello to you too, Kacchan. And yes, I passed.”

“Don’t fuckin’ shit me. There’s no way you could’ve passed, not with your stupid Quirk. You have nothing to do there.”

“What gives you the right to say that?” Hitoshi hissed.

Bakugo raised a brow.

“Uh? Oh, Droopy Eyes. You’re one of Deku’s sidekicks. Wouldn’t expect him to have one. Hey, Deku, what did you do to get a sidekick? Cause I don’t see you getting any with that scary and useless Quirk of yours.”

Several people raised their voice at once, Tenya among them. They all shut up when Hitoshi rose from his seat and stood. Even though the mind-manipulator only had five centimeters to the explosive blonde, the fact he stood ramrod straight with murder in his eyes made him much more intimidating. His voice was a low snarl.

“_Give me a single reason why I shouldn’t brainwash you into jumping from a window._”

And he could do it too, Izuku, Denki and Kyoka knew. Bakugo had answered him. It meant their friend could brainwash the bully any moment. Izuku recognized the distinct scent of nitric acid from his bully’s skin. This spurred him. Before anyone could react, the green-haired teen was standing next to his friend and had a hand on his wrist. Gently, he nudged him back to his seat. Hitoshi gave him a look. Izuku answered with a tiny yet steely nod. Hitoshi obeyed and watched his friend turn to his tormentor.

With only these few gestures, it became clear that the smaller teen was the leader of the group. It didn’t matter that the six centimeters between them forced Izuku to look up to Bakugo. What mattered was that the boy was staring at the blonde with a cold gaze that was echoed by his voice.

Izuku shifted his arm into graffiti form and put a claw right under Bakugo’s jaw.

“Let’s make one thing clear, Kacchan: if you hurt any of my friends, I will make Aldera look like a kid’s tantrum.” His claw grazed the bully’s skin. “_Understood?_”

Gulping was all Bakugo could do to avoid needing new pants. He still remembered Aldera. It was the source of his greatest nightmares. And where did Deku gain the ability to make his limbs like those of his monsters? How strong were they, exactly? He could feel the claw on his skin and he could tell it was sharp. It was also close to something vital. One wrong move and Deku could kill him.

_One wrong move and Deku could kill him. **Fuuuuuck**_ **…**

His heart pounding wildly, he went to a seat a row behind Iida’s right. Izuku sat back and gently massaged Hitoshi’s shoulder. The mind-manipulator turned to him with an admirative smile.

“Wow.”

The class was muttering among themselves, now. Finally, the girl Izuku had rescued arrived. The teen smiled.

‘_She’s cute. That uniform suits her well._’

The girl looked around before noticing him.

“Oh, here you are.”

There was a free seat next to him. When the grape-haired boy had tried to sit there, Izuku had noticed the looks he was giving to the buxom brunette in the next seat and had quietly raked his claws on the chair. The student had gone straight next to Iida.

“I’m Ochako Uraraka.” The girl grinned. “Thanks for saving me a seat.”

“The boy who tried to take it looked like a pervert and, well, look next to you to understand. I’m Izuku Midoriya, by the way. Nice to properly meet you, Ochako-san.”

“Please, just Ochako will do.”

“If you’re here to socialize, then get out. This is the Hero Course.”

The whole class turned to the entrance. A ragged-looking man in black slowly dragged himself out of a sleeping-bag. He had long black hair, sleepy eyes and what looked like a scarf around his neck but Izuku could clearly tell it wasn’t one. The man stretched.

“I am Shota Aizawa, your homeroom teacher. Nice to meet you. Now put on your gym clothes, we’re going to the training ground.”

As it turned, Shota Aizawa, also known as the Pro Hero Eraserhead, was rather unorthodox in his teaching methods. The very first thing they did, skipping the entrance ceremony and guidance session, was to give them a series of gym tests… with their Quirks. Hitoshi sighed loudly.

“I don’t see how my Quirk is going to help. This is a test of fitness. My Quirk doesn’t affect the body. It affects the mind.”

“With all the training Michiro-sensei gave us, you don’t need a Quirk to ace them.” Kyoka reminded. “Besides, correct me if I’m wrong but you’re the best free-runner of us four. The only one who can match you physically is Izuku and, even then, there are days…”

Hitoshi was forced to admit she was right. Still, he felt this was something their teacher needed to know. When he passed the tests, it would be using his skills alone. Aizawa apparently heard him since he turned and raised a brow.

First test was the softball throwing. Bakugo was first. If his non-Quirk throw was sixty-seven meters, his explosion-powered throw went beyond seven hundred. Aizawa turned to Hitoshi.

“Now, you.”

Hitoshi shrugged. His Quirk wouldn’t help, but he was still fit. And breakdance and free-running required enough arm strength to support yourself. His throw was a decent hundred meters.

“Sorry, Sensei. My Quirk doesn’t affect that.”

Aizawa said nothing. Instead, he made several more students pass before it was Izuku’s turn. The teen smirked and turned his right arm into graffiti. This earned him more than a few surprised looks. Aizawa raised a brow. Izuku delicately took the ball, aimed and _threw_.

Eijiro could swear he heard something cracking. In any case, everyone felt the swoosh of air. Aizawa gave his phone a weird look.

“A kilometer and a half.”

Bakugo’s face was priceless.

Once the test was over, one student made the mistake of calling it fun. It was apparently the wrong thing to say because their teacher then made a very serious threat.

Whoever had the lowest score across all exercises would be deemed hopeless and expelled. Izuku glared.

“If he actually goes through with it, we’re going to have a problem.”

“It’s not the first bully teacher we’ve dealt with.” Hitoshi mused. “This will be the first Hero one, though.”

Aizawa gave the pair a look.

“Big words coming from students. After all, as you said, I am a Pro.”

Izuku looked him dead in the eyes.

“A bully remains a bully regardless of the age, Sensei. My friends and I have spent a good deal of our school years hunting them down. We know how to handle them.”

“Maybe.”

Then his eyes turned red. Izuku froze. Slowly, his hands went to his head.

“The storm… It’s gone!”

Hitoshi, Denki and Kyoka looked at him.

“The storm is gone?”

“Yes! The storm of sound in my head is gone! I don’t have tinnitus anymore!”

Aizawa expected panic. His Quirk had erased that of the green-haired teen, leaving him powerless. He wasn’t expecting to be rewarded by a look of pure _joy_.

“There is silence! Only silence! It’s been so long… I almost forgot what it’s like…”

He swiftly removed his headphones and went to sit somewhere quiet. Aizawa made a point to keep him in his sight. Izuku breathed, sheer relief on his face. Kyoka grinned.

“Looks like we have our answer: his tinnitus is part of his Quirk rather than something his Quirk uses.”

Izuku had his eyes closed, a small moan of pleasure escaping him as he enjoyed the quiet in his head. For the first in a long time, there was no cacophony raging in his head, no storm howling discordant sounds between his ears. It was incredibly relaxing. He could have stayed that way for hours. Unfortunately, his teacher had other ideas.

Slowly, the storm returned. Izuku sighed and put back his earphones.

“It was good while it lasted. Did your Quirk run out, Sensei, or…?”

“You were falling asleep.”

“Oh. Sorry. Been a long while since it’s been this quiet in my head. I wanted to enjoy it.”

Aizawa frowned.

“So, your Quirk generates a permanent storm of sound in your head that you can turn into color. Weaponized synesthesia. I have seen your entrance exam. When faced with the zero-pointer, you used a technique that left you unconscious.”

“Oh. That. I explained the staff how it worked.”

“Well, I didn’t hear it…”

Izuku explained. By the time he was done, only his friends, Ochako, Tenya and Yuga weren’t surprised. Everyone else was either wincing in sympathy or left speechless.

“That is indeed a nasty drawback, Midoriya. Still, back at the subject, since I can erase your Quirk, what could you possibly do?”

“Well, correct me if I’m wrong but your Quirk doesn’t work on Mutant ones, right, Sensei?”

On this, the teen morphed all four of his limbs. Aizawa shut it again. Nothing happened. Izuku smirked.

“The storm of sound in my head? I morph my limbs by applying it on my skin. And your Quirk simply deprives others of their power. They don’t amplify your own skills. It just so happens that many people rely on their Quirk to fight, which gives you the edge. But against mutants and people who fight normally, it doesn’t help much. You meet someone stronger or more skilled than you, you’re done for, _Sensei_.”

Aizawa had to admit he had a point. He also made a side-note about the boy’s analytic skills.

“Fair enough. Forget what I said about expelling. But still, take these tests seriously. This is not a game, far from it. Hero business is serious business and I expect you to show this seriousness.”

Everyone decided to agree. Bakugo glared at Izuku as they moved to the next exercise.

“Where did he find the spine?”

Next event was the fifty-meter dash. Hitoshi, Denki and Kyoka’s Quirks didn’t help them here – Kyoka had flung the softball with her jacks during the previous event. Izuku, limbs still morphed, crouched at the starting line like a feline. It was over in two cheetah-swift strides and two seconds and a half. The following event was grip strength. The teen nearly crushed the machine.

“Can’t be helped. My limbs aren’t made of flesh and blood, right now. They’re made of sound and color.”

Apotheosis gave him the same biology as his Noises. Not only that, he had once squared against one of his Neoclassical Drakes after Amelia had summoned one with a can. The Drake had lasted about ten seconds.

The next tests went much the same way. For the standing long jump, he added his wings for more kick. He also kept them for the side-stepping, making himself just light enough to touch the ground. If Ochako dominated the throw by sending the ball into space, Izuku could at least boast he sent his into high orbit by throwing it at escape velocity. He grimaced a little.

“I trained using my graffiti limbs before, but it’s the first time I have numbers to put on them.”

Endurance running, upper body strength and seated toe touch went much the same way. Having a definitely non-human biology helped a lot. The only reason Izuku felt somewhat tired was because his head and torso were still flesh and blood. He grumbled.

“I feel like cheating.”

“What would be cheating is you using Apotheosis.” Hitoshi retorted.

Aizawa raised a brow.

“Apotheosis?”

“My second _Threshold Move_ after Cacophony.” Izuku explained. “Threshold Moves are abilities I save for when my life is in direct danger and my only choice is using them or dying. You’ve seen Cacophony during the Entrance Exam. My graffiti limbs are me undergoing partial Apotheosis. Full version is me completely transforming.”

To demonstrate, he walked away and opened his arms.

“_Apotheosis._”

Static cloaked his body. When it faded, there was no flesh or blood left on him. The whole class but his friends gaped. He was a little taller than Aizawa, now. His graffiti limbs were unchanged, but his hair and rabbit ears had become the same, and his body was now emerald green with the anatomy of a doll. His eyes shone, pupil-less and white.

Aizawa took a moment to stare. He had guessed that his flesh body was the reason his scores weren’t any higher – and he had graded him second only to Momo Yaoyorozu. But now, he was seeing his true, fully-transformed form.

And he fully understood why the teen saved it for last resort.

* * *

Trivia bit: the students who assisted Hitoshi, Denki and Kyoka during the Entrance Exam are Ibara Shiozaki, Reiko Yanagi and Kojiro Bondo respectively. You already know Itsuka Kendo and Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu were with Izuku. And yes, Izuku atomized the exam's rescue score.

Also, as you noticed, the seating is going to be different from canon, especially since both classes will have twenty-one students:

First row: Yuga Aoyama, Koji Koda, Tsuyu Asui, Tenya Iida, Minoru Mineta  
Second row: Mashirao Ojiro, Denki Kaminari, Eijiro Kirishima, Mina Ashido, Katsuki Bakugo  
Third row: Mezo Shoji, Kyoka Jiro, Hanta Sero, Fumikage Tokoyami, Shoto Todoroki  
Fourth row: Toru Hagakure, Hitoshi Shinso, Izuku Midoriya, Ochako Uraraka, Momo Yaoyorozu  
Last row: Rikido Sato

Finally, about Izuku and Hitoshi's argument with Aizawa:

Aizawa didn't expell any of the two because he only expells those without potential - and the pair's reason for standing to him were completely heroic. Izuku and Hitoshi have something of a bully-hunting habit and, unfortunately, Aizawa with his threat was acting like one. They didn't challenge him because they are rebellious teenagers. They challenged him because he was threatening the class with an unfair punishment and they weren't about to let it happen. And Aizawa realized that. So he let it slide, especially after Izuku pointed the weaknesses in his fighting style and demonstrated a valid counter. Desire to protect their own at all cost and strategic mindset. they have potential. Aizawa chose to keep them and hope for the best.


	6. A Poison Tree

Aizawa watched the four teens. Izuku Midoriya, Hitoshi Shinso, Denki Kaminari and Kyoka Jiro. The kids had potential, and they were obviously close-knit. He frowned at the memory of Izuku and Hitoshi standing up to him. The pair apparently had a history as bully hunters and, even though he had only been (mildly) joking about expulsion, the pair had taken the threat seriously and challenged him. This was why he hadn’t kicked them out. Their heart was in the right place.

And there was no denying they had skill. In only his partial transformation, Izuku was ranked right behind Yaoyorozu. As for Hitoshi, despite the uselessness of his Quirk in such a situation, the teen still remained fit enough to be decent. He had caught scraps of conversation between the four and, apparently, all of them practiced free-running and breakdance, both physically-demanding activities.

Bah, everyone had their hobbies. So long as they were serious about their studies, he would tolerate it. He still couldn’t help but feel those four would be the class’s main problem children. The Fearsome Foursome.

Lunch came. After the test, it was more than welcome. The four friends sat at a table and savored their meal. To Izuku’s surprise, they were joined by students not of their class.

“You made it. You see me relieved.”

Hitoshi turned to see the girl with vine for hair who had saved him during the entrance exam. His brows creased.

“I remember you. Thanks for saving me back there.” He showed her an empty seat. “I don’t think I got your name. You made it as well?”

“My name is Ibara Shiozaki. I made it, thank you for asking. I am currently in class 1-B.”

“Uh, funny. My friends and I are in class 1-A. The frog girl who was with us is there too. Tsuyu, her name is.”

“Thank you for informing me. I will pay her my regards when I meet her. Now, I didn’t get your name either…”

“Hitoshi. And these are my friends, Izuku, Denki and Kyoka. We’ve been together since middle school. A bit earlier for Izuku…”

There was a fond smile on his face. Izuku felt happy about it. Just like Denki and Kyoka were closer than with them, so was he with Hitoshi.

“Ibara! Here you are!”

Izuku had trouble recognizing the steel-skinned teen with his Quirk off, but there was no mistaking his partner’s red hair. Ibara turned to them.

“Kendo. Tetsutetsu. Have you come to join us?”

“In part.” Itsuka smiled. “The other part is because I thought I recognized that green head. Izuku Midoriya, right?”

Izuku turned to the pair.

“I remember you. We fought together during the entrance exam.”

“Yeah, you and Itsuka got me from under that pointer. Good thing my skin turns into steel or it would’ve been worse.”

Introductions were made. Chatter happily started. They were joined by two students from class 1-B that Itsuka introduced as Reiko Yanagi and Kojiro Bondo, who were also the people who had assisted Denki and Kyoka. The group was genuinely amazed with the teamwork between Kyoka, Kojiro and Mina against the zero-pointer, and outright stumped that Izuku had blown the rescue score sky-high (at Izuku’s demand, they hadn’t given the exact number). They were joined midway by Tsuyu, Mina and Eijiro, who had recognized the class 1-B students. Discussion started again, Quirks were compared…

Eijiro and Tetsutetsu were amazed by how similar their Quirks were.

“Bro, that’s so the same thing! You turn into steel, I become a rock…”

“Birthday’s October 16th…”

“You’re kidding. Same here!”

“What were the odds?”

“Bros forever!”

“Yeah!”

Tsuyu and Izuku smiled fondly.

“Ribbit.”

“Yep.”

Class was finally over but none of the four friends felt tired. Izuku stretched.

“So, Shadda’s Crossing or the basketball field?”

“The basketball field.” Kyoka decided. “We still have homework and your mother’s going to kill us all if we skip it.”

“True.”

You didn’t joke about homework with Inko Midoriya unless you felt faster than an Alterna Wolf. And the Noises were fast. Izuku called his mom, then used his Quirk. His uniform shifted and all three teens kicked themselves for forgetting to bring casual clothing.

Instead of the beige vest and dark pants, Izuku was wearing a dark green hoodie with the hood down, black flames licking the edge of the sleeves while a neon green graffiti heart was sewn on his chest. A pair of black skeletal wings was drawn on the back and his pants were now baggy and khaki. All in all, comfortable clothes fitting for the street.

There was a saunter in the teen’s steps. Hitoshi grinned.

“Let me guess, Metal again?”

“Nope. Jazz. _[There’s a cool cat in town, never settled down ~ She loves chasing the dogs around](https://youtu.be/2-oKQEn2QBE)_...”

“Hey, you can sing!”

The group turned to see Ochako running toward them. The girl panted, grinning.

“I had no idea you could sing! That song sounds catchy.”

“We can all sing to an extend but Kyoka’s the best. Her family are musicians so it’s normal. As for the song…”

He put it back at the start and sang along. Ochako happily listened.

“Yeah, definitely catchy. What music is it?”

“Jazz. Swing, to be exact. It’s a subset.”

“Oh… You got more?”

The group laughed.

“Izuku’s Noises come from musical genres. The more he knows, the more Noises he can make. Last headcount was a hundred and fifteen.”

“What? No way! Cool duds, by the way. Where did you get them?”

The group turned to see Itsuka and Tetsutetsu walking to them. Tenya was close behind. Izuku shrugged.

“My Quirk works by taking the sounds in my head, arranging them into tunes and translating them into color. Arranging the notes into melodies makes Noises. Spreading the sound like a storm around me makes Cacophony. On my skin, it’s Apotheosis. But if I just take notes as they are, raw and discordant, they translate into pure color. On a regular surface, I can arrange the color to paint, but it only lasts between three to five days. If I do it on clothes, it’s permanent and lets me alter how they look. That’s how I transformed my uniform, but I can transform it back at will. Also, a cloth remains a cloth. I can make a hoodie from a bolero but I can’t make a hat from pants.”

“Your Quirk sounds like it would come with a manual.” Itsuka frowned.

“As a matter of fact, it does.”

This earned a few guffaws. Denki chuckled.

“Which reminds me: Izuku can charge spray paint cans with his Quirk. Also, the fact they are temporary means the police doesn’t mind if we add a little color to the neighborhood. It will be gone if a few days, anyway. So, one night, we made a piece on a wall near our favorite meeting place and some wannabe delinquents slashed it…”

“Slashing a piece means to tag over it or simply cross it with a big line.” Kyoka explained.

Denki continued.

“Anyway, the thing is that our pieces never last. A few days later, the morons came back to see their slash covering a big, fat amount of nothing. While they tried to figure out how we somehow managed to erase our piece without touching their slash, the police swooped in and put them all in custody! Officer Tsukauchi had a good laugh over it.”

Ochako and Tetsutetsu laughed. Itsuka snickered and even Tenya smiled.

“So, where are you heading?”

“To our meeting place, for homework. Mama Midoriya’s waiting. Afterward, time for some fun! Music will be involved. Dancing or spray paint, we don’t know yet. We’ll figure after homework.”

Ochako grinned.

“Sounds cool! Can I join you?”

“Sure.”

The three other students decided to follow. Inko was waiting for them at the field, drinks and snacks in a bag while her Alterna Wolf watched. The Noise took off the moment Izuku appeared.

“Hello, Alterna. You watched over Mom and the house, today?”

“_Woof!_”

“Welcome back, Sweetie. How was your day?”

“Good. As you can see, we all made friends.”

Inko smiled at the sight of the eight students. Denki reassured the four newcomers.

“Don’t worry, Izuku’s mom is everyone’s mom and Toshi-san is everyone’s dad. And Michiro-sensei is everyone’s sensei.”

As if on cue, the courier appeared. Tenya took a moment to look at the man, who was even taller and broader than he was. Ochako couldn’t take her eyes away.

“Hey there, kids. I see you brought friends.”

Izuku waved at his mentor.

“They decided to join for homework. You don’t have a delivery right now, Sensei?”

“I got time.”

Introductions were made. Alterna, despite being a guard Noise, behaved like a big house pet, much to Ochako and Itsuka’s pleasure. Izuku summoned more Noises and, while they enjoyed the snacks, Inko made sure the homework was done and done well. Afterward, they talked about music and pop culture. Michiro grinned the whole time.

This ended becoming a routine. Itsuka, Tetsutetsu, Ibara, Reiko and Kojiro had their own cliques within their class, as did the four. It wasn’t uncommon that Izuku and his friends were joined by some of their classmates, or even students from 1-B to the basketball field. This helped maintain a form of friendship between the two classes.

That day, however, was a special day. Indeed, this would be their first lesson with the Symbol of Peace. Everybody was on edge.

“**_I have come through the door like a normal person!!!_**”

Hitoshi held a snicker. He had always found the Hero’s over-dramatical behavior hilarious. It didn’t help that he was in his Silver Age outfit. Izuku was silently squeeing at his side. Then the Hero announced the lesson’s activity: Battle Training. For this, they would need costumes. Izuku and Hitoshi shared a look. Compared to the other students, their bag was oddly small. Given Hitoshi’s only contained a pair of sunglasses and Izuku only had sunglasses, a bandana and a pair of gloves, it wasn’t surprising. The class gave them a weird look right until they started changing.

Hitoshi put the glasses on and held a hand. Izuku held it and let his powers flow. Static shifted on the teen, altering his school uniform into a dark purple hoodie with a pair of silver cuffs sewn on the heart. His pants were still black, but the fabric was different and it was somewhat baggy and his shoes were dark running sneakers. The sleeves and legs were tapped with silver duct tape and the glasses had become wraparound sunglasses. Hitoshi put his hood up, obscuring his face. A moment later, Izuku used his power on himself.

His school uniform changed. His vest became a sleeveless emerald hoodie with a neon sharp on the heart and skeletal wings of the same color. The glasses morphed into aviator googles. The bandana was back with white flame patterns and the gloves were fingerless and studded. His pants were black and baggy and his shoes were black sport ones with emerald lines. Finally, instead of being bare, his arms were covered with tattoo-like lines reminiscent of their morphed form. Izuku tied the bandana over his mouth and put the hood up.

Bakugo gave him a look.

“What’s up with these rags? You and Droopy Eyes look like thugs, Deku.”

Hitoshi moved to say something. Izuku held him and shook his head.

‘_He isn’t worth it._’

Hitoshi sighed.

“I still want to make him jump from a window. Don’t worry, it won’t hurt much if it’s just the first floor…”

“Nah. Forget it. He thinks the world revolves around him. Ignore him. Treat him as if he doesn’t exist.”

He turned to Denki and Kyoka. Both looked like they were headed to a rave party with their stylish black pants and jackets. The pair gave them thumbs up, which were returned. All Might looked at the students emerging from the room. They made a fine team, all in their costumes. He hid his widening grin at the sight of his favorite four.

The Fearsome Foursome, Aizawa had called them. He knew the teens as Toshinori. The Erasure Hero wasn’t _completely_ wrong. They were definitely a prankish and fun-loving bunch. He explained the exercise.

All in all, it was simple. The villains had to protect a nuclear weapon from the heroes and each team had to either capture the other or secure/protect the weapon before/until the time was up. Teams were made from lots, with one counting three members. Said team ended being Hitoshi, Momo and Minoru. Hitoshi made a point of keeping the little perv in his sight. Meanwhile, while Denki and Kyoka were happy to be teamed together, Izuku was surprised to find himself with Tenya, and even more to see Ochako with Bakugo. Mezo was with Shoto, Koji with Rikido, Mina with Yuga, Toru with Mashirao, Tsuyu with Fumikage and Hanta with Eijiro.

Fate wanted that the first round of Heroes versus Villains opposed the heroic Izuku and Tenya against the villainous Bakugo and Ochako. Izuku sighed.

“No helping it, I guess.”

Hitoshi gave him a look. The teen nodded.

“I’ll be fine.”

“I trust you.”

While Bakugo and Ochako prepared, Izuku and Tenya waited. Tenya looked at the building’s blueprints.

“I wonder where they will hide the bomb, or how they will protect it. Let’s see, Uraraka-kun can nullify the gravity of anything she touches. As for Bakugo-kun, he makes explosions with his fists. Their setup is a dangerous one. With Uraraka on the defense, readying a field of floating debris to slow us down while Bakugo hammers us with his explosions, we are going to have a hard time storming this place. I hope your monsters – your Noises are strong.”

Izuku was about to speak when music started playing.

“_[Green Onions](https://youtu.be/0oox9bJaGJ8)_…? _**Kyo-ka!**_”

In the watch room, Kyoka snickered. She had plugged into the system and started playing the music. All Might let her. When the music kept playing despite his protest, Izuku sighed.

“We won’t need them, nor will we need the building’s plan. You got a good assessment of their powers, Tenya, but I have an insight regarding their personality.”

Tenya turned to Izuku and gave him a once-over. Their costumes couldn’t make them more different. Tenya was tall and looked like a knight in shining armor. Izuku was small and looked like a delinquent. Yet, when the teen spoke, the appearances crumbled.

“I can fly, which means we don’t need to cross the whole building. We just need to know where they hid the bomb and sneak through a window. As for finding it, there.”

He started humming Chet Baker’s _Beautiful Eyes_. Static flowed and became a black graffiti bat shaded blue.

“This is a Cool Bat. Small and dark as it is, I doubt they’ll notice it. It will scout for us. In the meantime, there are two most likely scenarios.” Izuku grumbled. “Kacchan hasn’t changed much since I last saw him. If anything, he’s become worse. Now, since he has always hated me, he is going to look for me, bomb be damned. He will look for me to give me a beating, because he’s a bully and this is what bullies do. For Uraraka, there are two possibilities. First, she does the smart thing and stays behind to guard the bomb. If that happens, the plan is simple: while I engage her, sneak in the back and get the target.”

“And second?”

Izuku smirked.

“Second is the stupid idea: she follows him because she worries about him and wants to keep him safe… and, in doing so, she will leave the bomb unguarded. While they are busy looking for us _inside_ the building, we sneak in from the _outside_, make a beeline for the target and disable it with none of them the wiser. But that would be stupid of them and while Bakugo can be blinded by hatred, I doubt Uraraka is like that. So, better prepare for the first option.”

Tenya nodded, silently impressed. He wasn’t the only one. In the watch room, even Momo had to admit the thug-looking teen’s strategy was smart. The moment the buzzer rang, Izuku summoned his wings and morphed his limbs. The music shifted and caused the boy to face-palm.

“[The Mission Impossible theme](https://youtu.be/XAYhNHhxN0A)? Seriously? Why not James Bond, while you’re at it!?”

“Too bombastic.”

Izuku groaned and turned to Tenya.

“Get on my back. Don’t worry, I can lift you.”

And, indeed, he could. Meanwhile, Bakugo looked around.

“Dafuq’s with that music?”

Ochako, who was walking behind him, couldn’t answer.

The Cool Bat flew in and out at each level. It only confirmed the bomb’s presence once they reached the final level. Tenya shrugged.

“Classical. Did you see the other team?”

The Noise squeaked negatively. Izuku scoffed.

“No way! They really did it? They left the bomb behind? Unguarded?”

“_Squee!_”

“No. They weren’t that stupid… were they?”

“Looks like they were. Your plan to bypass them worked flawlessly.”

Izuku started laughing. As he entered by the window and dropped Tenya, he removed his bandana, hood and goggles and laughed helplessly.

“You’re kidding! Ochako, please, I know you care but seriously… Fine. Kyoka, if you still feel like playing DJ, could you please put [this](https://youtu.be/hcUxWlNDljs) on?”

Colors flowed in a track’s name. Kyoka grinned.

“With pleasure.”

Jock Jams’ _Are You Ready for This_ echoed on the loudspeaker. Tenya removed his helmet. He started grinning as the music played. Izuku was skidding, almost dancing on his feet as they walked to the bomb. He turned to Tenya and made a curtsy. His partner gave him a bow and touched the fake bomb. The buzzer rang.

“_**Heroes win!**_”

Izuku grinned.

“I love it when a plan comes together.”

In the watch room, Denki looked at Kyoka.

“Did he just quote _The A-Team_?”

Bakugo and Ochako had turned away the moment the music had changed. They were halfway there when the buzzer rang. They didn’t stop. Izuku put a finger on the bomb and wrote in flashy graffiti letters “_We win ~_” before grabbing Tenya and hiding in a corner. The villain pair took one look at the bomb and the message on it. Bakugo was the first to react.

“**Deku, you goddamn motherfucking son of a $#!+…**”

The streak he swore was positively blue. Ochako held a snort. Between the music and his friend’s reaction, Izuku was laughing as silently as he could. Tenya himself had a hand on his mouth.

‘_Don’t laugh don’t laugh don’t laugh don’t laugh…_’

In the watch room, the hilarity was more open. Denki and Hitoshi were laughing against each other like maniacs and were quickly joined by Eijiro. Mina followed. Even All Might’s shoulders were sagging. Tsuyu had a hand on her stomach.

“Ribbit! Ri-rib-b-b-b-bit! Rib-bit!”

Momo nodded.

“Good one. That was stupid of the villain team but good one.”

Fumikage snorted.

“Move right the moment they look left and add insult at the injury. Hard to argue with that.”

Bakugo looked at the room.

"Get your bloody ass over there, Deku! I know you’re around!”

Izuku emerged from his hideout, Tenya behind him. The blonde bully snarled.

“How the fuck did you get past us without us noticing? When Round Face decided to tag along, we decided to split to cover more ground. Where the hell were you?”

“What makes you believe we went _through_ the building?” Tenya asked smugly.

“You said something, Four Eyes? Wait…”

His double-take was beautiful. Izuku’s graffiti limbs were still out and Bakugo could clearly see the wings. The green-haired boy spoke sweetly.

“_This is called a hustle, Kacchan._”

Bakugo’s eyes widened. Small explosions came from his wrists. Tenya grit his teeth.

‘_Don’t laugh don’t laugh don’t laugh_’ “Oh, forget it!”

He started laughing. Ochako joined him soon after. For a moment, All Might thought he would have to go and restrain Bakugo. Fortunately, both teams went back when he called them, especially after Izuku waved a clawed finger at the blonde bully. Bakugo remembered exactly how the claw had felt under his jaw and he wasn’t looking forward to a repeat. In the monitor room, laughter was finally dying down, along with the music. Bakugo glared murderously at Izuku, knowing he couldn’t do much against him.

Denki couldn’t help it. The poem had been ringing in his head almost since their first day at U.A. and, when he opened his mouth to explain the fight, the words that came were completely different.

“_I was angry with my friend._  
_I told my wrath, my wrath did end._  
_I was angry with my foe._  
_I told him not, my wrath did grow._

_And I watered it with fear,_  
_Nights and mornings with my tears._  
_And I sunned it with smiles_  
_And with soft, deceitful wiles._

_And it grew both day and night_  
_Till it bore an apple bright,_  
_And my foe beheld its shine_  
_And he knew that it was mine._

_And into my garden stole,_  
_When the night had veiled the pole._  
_In the morning, glad I see:_  
_My foe outstretched beneath the tree._”

The whole class, All Might included, turned to him. Momo raised a brow.

“William Blake, _A Poison Tree_. I didn’t expect you to know it.”

Kyoka gave her friend a look.

“Where did that come from?”

“Well, I thought it explained Izuku and Bakugo’s relationship’s pretty well.”

Now, he had everyone’s attention. All Might signaled him to continue. Denki obliged.

“Remember our first day. Iida apologized to Izuku for his behavior and Izuku forgave him because he was thinking the same about him, so they were even. _I was angry with my friend. I told my wrath, my wrath did end._ However, Bakugo used to bully Izuku a lot, to the point he partially caused him to use Cacophony for the first time in Aldera. They spent a long time apart but, when they reunited in U.A., it was back to old habits. _I was angry with my foe. I told him not, my wrath did grow._ _And I watered it with fear, nights and mornings with my tears. And I sunned it with smiles and with soft, deceitful wiles._ All this time they were away, both nursed their grudge, Izuku unwilling to forgive his bully and Bakugo still thinking Izuku as worthless. Problem is, Izuku’s Quirk comes with a **friggin’ manual**, and he learned new tricks while ‘Kacchan’ wasn’t looking._ And it grew both day and night till it bore an apple bright._”

Everyone nodded. Izuku had to admit he was on point so far.

“Bakugo later witnessed Izuku’s Quirk and recognized it, but he didn’t quite catch his breadth. I noticed he looked really surprised when Izuku demonstrated Apotheosis… _And my foe beheld its shine and he knew that it was mine._ So, back to old habits but not exactly realizing what Izuku could do now, Bakugo tried to kickstart their old bullying routine. Except… _And into my garden stole, When the night had veiled the pole. In the morning, glad I see: my foe outstretched beneath the tree._ Izuku has changed since they last met. The two times Bakugo tried to take on Izuku, Graffiti Heart made him bitterly regret it. See? I thought the poem fit them.”

“…That was surprisingly insightful.” Momo admitted.

“I wasn’t expecting you to be that smart, or that you would know classical literature.”

Denki grimaced. Izuku came to his friend’s rescue.

“Trends come and go but classics are timeless. You don’t need a high IQ to appreciate a good book, and classical literature is considered so for a reason.”

“Hm. True. Looks can be deceiving. It seems to be a trend between you and your friends.”

Kyoka frowned.

“We know what it’s like to be judged. Izuku and Hitoshi were looked down upon because of their ‘villainous Quirks’, and Denki because of his apparent idiocy. As for me, people laughed when I wanted to become a Hero and a singer at the same time. Michiro-sensei comforted me, saying the two weren’t mutually exclusive. I could rescue people with my Quirk then reassure them with my songs and that’s what I’m going to do.”

“We don’t like being judged, so we try not to do it.” Izuku turned to Tenya. “And when we judge others and turn out wrong, we swallow our pride and apologize. Case in point…”

The class was silent. Finally, Eijiro spoke

“Bro, that’s, like, the manliest thing ever.”

When All Might declared Izuku the VIP, no one was surprised. Next fight was Hitoshi, Momo and Mineta as the villains against Koda and Sato as the Heroes. The moment Mineta “accidentally” touched Momo’s rear, Hitoshi brainwashed him.

“_Go booby-trap the stairs with your sticky balls._”

Mineta walked away, eyes black. Momo grumbled.

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome. I’m gonna go bait the other team. Hold the fort?”

“Don’t be caught.”

“Why do you think I wear dark?”

He snuck away and, sliding from shadow to shadow, snuck behind Koda.

“Hands in the air!”

“Aaah! Shinso-kun!”

Yuga chuckled at the teen’s finger-gun.

“_Haut les mains, peau de lapin !_”

Koda caught in his power, Hitoshi sent him against Sato, who was forced to fight his teammate. This bought Momo and Mineta more time. When the two Heroes were done fighting, Hitoshi revealed himself. The pair lost no time running, but Hitoshi was fast. He dashed ahead, straight into the stairwell and away from even a muscled-up Sato. The pair stopped dead when the teen, rather than taking the stairs, climbed the fence and started leaping back and forth across the well, one level after the other. His friends and All Might aside, the class was surprised to see the mind-manipulator display such agility.

As it turned, there was a reason why he had done that. Mineta had filled the stairs with his sticky balls, and avoiding them was a pain. That was the plan. The three villains couldn’t beat the heroes in a straight-out brawl, so they had decided to play the waiting game. Once he was at the top, Hitoshi opened the window, slipped out and pushed it back. The class held its breath as he hung to the ledge by the fingers and gasped when he jumped, catching himself at the ledge of the other window. Momo brought him in.

“Are you alright?”

“Yeah. Don’t worry, I’ve done worse acrobatics at Shadda’s Crossing.”

Mineta was in a corner, grumbling. The teen glared at him.

“You know what I’ll do if you act like a pervert again.”

“What’s the use of being in the same team as a bombshell if you can’t enjoy it? Be honest, you like the view too.”

“Forget it, she’s out of my league.”

This mildly reassured Momo. She turned to the door, thoroughly barricaded with tungsten bars. No matter how Sato punched, he didn’t dent it. The buzzer sounded after several more minutes.

“**_Villains win!_**”

This time, VIP was shared between Hitoshi and Momo. None complained. Tenya looked at the purple teen.

“Are you alright? Those acrobatics looked risky, especially at this height.”

“As I said, I’ve done worse.”

“He’s right.” Izuku reassured. “Hitoshi is the best free-runner of us four. I can beat him on a good day but, usually, I need partial Apotheosis to win a race.”

Next match was villainous Tsuyu and Tokoyami against heroic Kyoka and Denki. Tokoyami did a smart move by ambushing the pair with Dark Shadow. In any other circumstance, it would have been easy. Unfortunately, Dark Shadow was weakened by light, and Denki was a human taser. He sent the creature back with its tail between its talons. When the confrontation finally happened, Tsuyu and Kyoka went straight at each other.

It took them all of five seconds to be thoroughly tangled, Tsuyu wrapping Kyoka in her tongue while the singer girl caught the frog in the lines of her jacks. Both were out of commission. When Tokoyami tried to face Denki, the blonde teen simply sparked. His opponent wisely surrendered. To the surprise of no one, Denki was voted VIP.

Ojiro and Hagakure against Shoji and Todoroki was even more one-sided than Izuku and Tenya against Ochako and Bakugo. Todoroki, in a display of power, froze the whole building solid, paralyzing the villains while securing the weapon.

Finally, villainous Eijiro and Hanta against heroic Mina and Yuga was an unstoppable force against an immovable object. The two pairs fought tooth and nail until the very end, Mina successfully capturing the duo seconds before the buzzer rang. She still got an earful from Yuga for ruining his cape. Momo took pity and used her Quirk to make him a new one.

The class ended with everyone exhausted, grinning and no hard feeling… except for Bakugo, of course.


	7. Superpowered student shenanigans

The teachers watched the video of the Heroes versus Villains exercise. They had gathered in the lounge at Toshinori’s request and the man was quietly sipping tea in his shrunken form, grinning at his colleagues’ reaction.

Present Mic was having a laughing fit. In fact, the DJ was laughing so hard Midnight had to pause the video so he wouldn’t miss it.

“That’s it. That Jiro girl is under my wing. Dibs, guys.”

“Then allow me to get Shinso under mine.” Aizawa quietly said. “I see the kind of Pro Hero he wants to become. I will be his teacher.”

He was smiling, but given how bored he looked most of the time, this might as well be a full shit-eating grin. The rest of the teachers were in various states of hilarity, from held snickering to fist-banging on the desk.

“What exactly are you teaching your students?” Vlad asked in disbelief. “Because mine act nothing like that.”

“Don’t put the whole class in the same basket, it’s just the Fearsome Foursome.” Aizawa sighed. “I knew these kids would be problem children. And the worst part? Shinso and Jiro are two of them. Midoriya and Kaminari make the rest.”

“The way Midoriya and Iida bypassed the whole building was clever.” Nezu grinned. “It is also a perfectly valid tactic. Can’t get through a problem? Work around it. And Todoroki’s power was genuinely amazing. Its scale and control are impressive…”

“As expected of Endeavor’s son.” Ectoplasm shrugged. “Makes you wonder who would win between Todoroki and Midoriya…”

“Todoroki, hand down.” Everyone turned to Midnight. “Midoriya can summon large swarms of monsters, but it makes him lose consciousness and Todoroki can effortlessly freeze them. He’ll win.”

“That’s what you think.”

Everyone turned to Aizawa. The teacher opened a new tab and played a video. Everyone recognized it.

“The sludge villain?”

“Yes. Also, the first victim of Midoriya’s Apotheosis.”

The teachers watched the video. Midnight held a curse.

“…I take it back. I don’t know how strong Midoriya is in this form but, if he ever manages to survive Todoroki’s onslaught, our half-and-half prodigy is done for.”

“Thanks for reminding me. I’ve been wanting to run physical assessment tests of his form for a while. By the way, does anyone know what Shadda’s Crossing is?”

It was Toshinori who answered.

“A Quirk Training Ground near Young Izuku’s home. It is a mishmash of stairways, alleys and rooftops that is the perfect place to train speed and agility Quirks. Four people own a copy of the paper. I am one of them. The others are Inko-chan, Michiro-san and my old friend Tsukauchi. You need the authorization of one of us to use the place.”

“You seem to be on good term with the Midoriyas.” Aizawa noted.

Toshinori smiled nervously.

“Well… Inko and I have been dating for several years now. Neither she nor Izuku know I am All Might. As Toshinori, I am like a father to Young Izuku.”

“…Dating. Seriously. You are_ seeing someone?_”

“Yes.”

Aizawa rolled his eyes and gave up.

“Fine. I’ll give the place a look when I got the time.”

“Try the week-ends. The kids are bound to visit it at some point. In fact, I wonder if they’ve taken some of their classmates there already. Young Iida and Sero could benefit from such a place.”

True enough, Aizawa had to admit. Tenya had engines in his legs and Hanta threw duct tape from his elbows. Both relied on agility and speed to get by. And so did he.

Meanwhile, the students of Class 1-B were also watching the video. Most of them were in stitches, Eijiro and Tetsutetsu clapping each other’s back.

“Holy shit, Bro, that was epic!”

“I know, Bro!”

Ibara considered.

“Some tactics are interesting. Climbing the building’s façade is a good idea to avoid any trap set inside, and Yaoyorozu-san’s barricade was nice.”

“Remind me to not forget the windows next time we got an exercise like that.” Kojiro hummed.

Setsuna agreed between laughs.

“Got that right, haha! Windows are… always more fragile than… Pft-hihihihi! Than walls, so double it! Mwahahahahaha! God, and the music! On point!”

Neito was thoughtful. He glanced at his classmate, Inasa, who was quietly chuckling with the rest.

“Midoriya’s power looks quite handy.”

“It is.” Itsuka confirmed. “What he told us about, it feels like a Swiss army knife. He once said he has a manual to keep track of what he can do.”

Really? Well, wasn’t it sweet? The power-copycat was eager to try. As class ended, he found the green-haired teen with his friends.

“Izuku Midoriya?”

"That’s me.” Izuku smiled. “And you are?”

“Neito Monoma, from Class 1-B. Nice to meet you.”

One touch was all he needed. A handshake more than did the job. He took a step back, preparing to use the power… Sound rang in his head, softly at first, then growing in intensity until it filled the space between his ears. Neito collapsed.

“It… hurts! All that sound, it hurts! **Make it stop! Somebody, please make it stop!** _Aaaaarg!_”

He was curled on the ground, crying and clutching his head desperately as the cacophony raged on. Izuku froze. He knew the symptoms all too well. He was already removing his earphones, but seeing sparks of static start to flow only made him act faster. The blonde teen was instinctively using Cacophony. Deftly, he slipped the earphones in Monoma’s ears and played the melody he usually used for moments like these. Itsuka, bless her, was quickly at his side.

“Izuku, what happened?”

The sparks were fading. No Noise had been created. The students around them had taken their distances. The teen frowned.

“I think he tried to copy my Quirk but couldn’t control it. How long does it last?”

“Neito’s copying lasts five minutes. You’re gonna take him to Recovery Girl?”

“Yes.” Izuku gritted his teeth. “And I really hope we meet Aizawa on the way or it’s going to be some very long minutes.”

Neito had calmed down. He was now clutching the phone for dear life and let himself be carried when the two teens started moving. Izuku bit his lip. Without the music, his tinnitus was raging loudly and there was nothing to keep him focused. He massaged his head. Itsuka looked at him.

“Are you alright?”

“No but I can hold. It’s my Quirk’s drawback.”

Inasa perked from a classroom and noticed the trio.

“What happened?”

“That moron tried to copy Izuku’s power.” Itsuka growled. “He succeeded, and now he’s paying for it.”

Izuku shook his head. The cacophony was giving him a headache. Inasa noticed it.

“You don’t look good. Do you need help too?”

He did, but none of the B students could provide it.

“Forget it. _Apotheosis!_”

He let go of Monoma and transformed. Inasa and Itsuka watched him take his humanoid Noise shape. Izuku breathed in relief. Apotheosis was dangerously powerful, but having the cacophony on his skin meant his head was silent. He picked Monoma bridal-style and went to the infirmary, Itsuka and Inasa on his heels. It was a bit awkward to walk like that. Recovery Girl looked at them as they entered.

“What happened here?”

“Neito tried to copy Izuku’s power.” Itsuka explained again. “He collapsed moments later, screaming from the pain. Apparently, it comes from the drawback of Izuku’s Quirk.”

Izuku looked around and noticed a white board. He looked at Recovery Girl and waited for her approval. The nurse nodded. As Itsuka laid her friend and Inasa sat, the teen wrote.

_The base of my Quirk is a brutal tinnitus._   
_Monoma is suffering from it._   
_I gave him my phone so he could focus._   
_I transformed so the storm would be on my skin._

Recovery Girl sighed and turned to the blonde.

“This is why you should always ask for the details of the Quirks you copy before using your power, young man. And this isn’t even the first time you see me for that.”

Neito shuddered. Finally, he managed to talk.

“It’s… horrible. I’m so glad for the music. It is like… a constant storm of discordance and it is so loud! _So loud!_ I can barely hear my thought! How can… anyone live with such _cacophony_ in their head!? How do you do it!?”

Izuku sighed, blanked the board and wrote again.

_I’m used to it._   
_But I still need the music to focus._   
_That’s why I transformed._

Neito whimpered.

“I’m never going anywhere your Quirk again! I just… can’t deal with that storm. It’s too horrible.”

He was crying in silence, tears falling on his cheeks. Itsuka wiped them. Izuku gave him a pitied look. Aizawa arrived soon after.

“I heard Midoriya was taking a Class B student to the infirmary. What happened?”

Recovery Girl sighed.

“Young Monoma tried to copy your student’s power, Aizawa. Now, he’s dealing with the drawback. I hope the lesson stays this time, young man.”

“…Yeah. Lesson learned. Read the manual first. God, my head…”

He was rocking himself, clutching Izuku’s phone for dear life. The five minutes ran out soon after. Neito still kept the phone for awhile longer, to soothe his nerves. Izuku was glad when it was returned. Aizawa gave the group a look.

“It was really that bad?”

“Sensei, Monoma collapsed screaming moments after copying Izuku. Yes, it is.”

The teacher remembered how the green-haired teen had felt relieved after he had erased his Quirk. If its basis was a tinnitus bad enough to leave people a crying mess, it was no surprise Izuku had been happy. It was also no surprise the teen had been in Apotheosis when he entered. Itsuka turned to Izuku.

“By the way, you said once that your power comes with a manual. Is it true?”

“Yeah, here.”

He took his bag and fished a thick notebook from it. The cover was decorated with artistically entwined graffiti lines that still made a spot for the book’s title: Graffiti Heart. Itsuka took it and started to read, Aizawa and Inasa reading over her shoulder. Neito carefully perked.

The first part was simply called _Basic Synesthesia_ and outlined the ins and outs of translating base sound into color, as well as the differences between support: paper, cloth and walls. The next chapter described Cacophony and Apotheosis in as much detail as possible, complete with warnings. The last and arguably biggest part was dedicated to Noise summoning. Itsuka whistled at the sight.

“Current headcount: 115… That’s a lot!** Kangaroo (3)** Jungle Boomer: Oldschool Jungle – _Roni Size, Touching Down_, 2-step Boomer: Two-step Garage – _Artful Dodger, TwentyFourSeven_, Eurobeat Boomer: Eurobeat – _Darude, Sandstorm_. Invulnerable when jumping. Main attacks are hindleg kicks, high jump and for the 2-step and Eurobeat, sucker punch from the joey. Eurobeat is notably more durable than Jungle and 2-step…”

There was more. Aizawa frowned when he found names next to some of the Noises.

“Midoriya, what do these mean?”

“Uh? Oh, it means they could be partners.”

His mother’s name was right next to Alterna Wolf, and Hitoshi, Denki and Kyoka were associated to Bluescat, Pony Honky and Carcinopunk respectively. Izuku’s name was tentatively written next to Indie Rabbeat. More surprising, Ochako’s name was written with a question point next to Pony Turbo, Tenya’s name was also in interrogation next to the 2-step Boomer and Aizawa’s own name had a question point next to Ethnicat.

“These mean I’m not sure yet. There are things I need to consider before I give a Noise to someone. There’s their preference in music, sure, but first comes the way they fight. Tenya and the Boomers fight with strong kicks while Pony Turbo uses wind attacks, which fits Ochako’s Quirk well. As for Sensei, beside the fact you share the color scheme and I heard you like cats, Ethnicat is my most resilient Cat Noise and either attacks in a flurry of sweeps or gives a single sweep that leaves a serious injury. That’s why I thought you’d get along.”

Aizawa considered. He knew Izuku could charge his Quirk into spray paint cans and his explanation made sense.

“I will talk with the principal about it. This said, I appreciate the offer.”

Izuku grinned. Itsuka and Inasa both asked what their partners would be – Mosh Grizzly and Death Trash Mink respectively – and Aizawa made abundantly clear the teen wasn’t allowed to hand Noise cans until the principal greenlight the idea. His friends couldn’t be helped: they already had it. Nezu agreed, on the condition that Izuku consulted him before. He also heavily regulated said use. The Noises obeyed to the summoner’s intent so the students had to be cautious. Fortunately, Tenya, Ochako and Itsuka were reasonable. Inasa decided to wait a bit.

A week after the incident, Izuku did something stupid. In his defense, the police never minded when he and his friends added color in the neighborhood since it would fade in a few days. So, why would U.A. be different?

As it turned, making a 4x4m art piece depicting the entire staff save Nezu, Recovery Girl, Lunch Rush and All Might on a wall of the school, even if said wall was out of the way and the painting disturbed no one, was still considered vandalism. Especially when it depicted Midnight pole-dancing, Amelia and Present Mic playing DJ, Thirteen played bartender and Aizawa watching from the stool with a drink in hand while everyone else hollered at the heroine. This, Aizawa fumed, was not only illegal but outright insulting.

The short story was that Izuku ended with detention until the painting vanished.

The long story involved an afternoon-long chase and hide-and-seek with the entire U.A. staff while Class 1-A and 1-B watched through a projector, courtesy of Amelia recording the whole mess with a Gabba Bat. Drinks and popcorn were provided by Lunch Rush. All Might, Nezu and Recovery Girl watched with them. They even got to witness a real-life game of Scooby-Doors during which Inui ran straight into Vlad King’s stomach while Midnight accidentally tackled Eraserhead. Izuku won the chase by jumping from the roof, flying away and shifting his clothes to military-grade camouflage in the forest. The teachers never found him.

Izuku was sent to the principal the next day and given detention until the painting vanished. Problem was, that day was a Friday. When everyone returned to school on Monday, the painting was gone. Aizawa felt scammed.

Then it was back Tuesday, with Nezu, All Might, Lunch Rush and Recovery Girl added. Izuku swore high and loud.

“It wasn’t me, this time!”

"Indeed. It was me.”

Aizawa turned to the principal who grinned from ear to ear.

“It’s only vandalism when it is done unauthorized, Eraserhead, and I admit I quite liked that painting. So, using the pictures taken by Amelia, I asked a crew to remake it with the missing staff members. Young Midoriya is white as snow in this affair.”

Aizawa remained in a foul mood for the rest of the week. So, naturally, when he showed up in class with an announcement, everyone was worried.

“Today.” The Hero said quietly. “You will be picking a class president.”

Everyone breathed in relief.

“At last, something normal!”

The classroom quickly devolved into chaos, everyone vying for the spot until Tenya wisely suggested they simply voted. Coming from him, it was said with much more words and formal phrasing, but they were getting used to it. The tall teen’s seriousness was silly in itself, making him fit just right.

Izuku ended with five votes. Everyone had one except for four persons: Hitoshi, Kyoka, Denki and Ochako. It was thus easy to guess who had voted for the teen.

“Of course, Deku voted for himself.” Bakugo scoffed.

Tenya hid his smile. At least, someone had voted for him. Izuku was a bit embarrassed to accept the position and his friends noticed. This was the main topic as they sat down for lunch.

“I don’t think I’m fit to be a leader.” The teen said bluntly.

“Why?” Ochako asked. “You’re smart and strong and easily likable…”

“That’s not the point.” Izuku frowned. “Being a leader entails giving orders and showing authority, and that’s about the one thing I don’t have. Sure, people like and respect me, but when it comes to commanding, I just don’t have what it takes.”

“So, you didn’t vote for you?” Hitoshi asked.

Izuku shook his head. Tenya joined them, soon followed by Itsuka and Neito. The blonde teen seemed somewhat nervous. Izuku helpfully offered him one of his earphones. Neito accepted, smiling as the gentle music played in his ear.

“You got your class president election too?” The redhead asked.

“Yep. Izuku was elected with five votes. You?”

Itsuka chuckled.

“That would be me with three votes, thanks to Yui and Tetsutetsu. Everyone else had one vote save for them.”

“Who did you vote for?” Izuku asked.

“Myself. You?”

“I didn’t vote for me.”

Tenya nearly choked. He turned to Izuku, his face showing nothing but disbelief. The teen noticed. It took the pair a moment to figure it out. When Izuku did, he laughed helplessly.

“We voted for each-other!”

Neito stared at them.

“Seriously?”

“I don’t have what it takes to be a leader.” Izuku explained again. “Not a single drop of authority in me. In fact, unless it earned my respect, I tend to be a bit defiant. Tenya, however, has everything he needs to lead people. He’s a stickler for rules, very earnest and flashy in the way he moves and there’s just this aura about him, that charisma. I thought he would do the job best. To be honest… I was torn between him and Momo.”

Itsuka hummed.

“I know her a bit. Hard to argue. But you also have a point.”

Tenya felt embarrassed by the compliment. He accepted it nevertheless. Izuku may be a fun-loving prankster at heart, but he was honest.

“You have a point about Yaoyorozu-kun. However, you yourself aren’t devoid of charisma. Not only that, you have a keen intellect and a kind heart that drives you to give your everything to protect those you care about. We’ve seen it in the entrance exam, and when you and Shinso-kun challenged Aizawa-sensei when he threatened to expel us during the Quirk assessment test. Whatever happens, we can trust you to do the right thing and this is why I voted for you.”

“I still don’t like the idea of leading people. Sorry.”

After a moment, Denki frowned.

“Now I think about, it, I never made the connection but doesn’t Michiro-sensei’s wife work for someone called Iida? Iida…Ten, or something. I heard him say she’s a sidekick there.”

Izuku’s eyes widened.

“Team Idaten, in Tokyo. It is led by the Turbo Hero Ingenium, real name: Tensei Iida. Tenya, he’s a relative of yours, right?”

Tenya beamed.

“He is my elder brother – and my idol too! He is a famous Hero beloved by all, with a strong sense of justice and aa deep respect for the rules. I enlisted in U.A. to emulate him but… I still have a long way to go, despite my efforts. It will take time before I prove worthy of him.”

Izuku smiled fondly.

“You have someone to look up to. This is great.”

“What about you, Izuku-kun? Do you have someone to look up to?”

“Well, All Might, of course. But so does everyone. That’s what being the Symbol of Peace means. If you’re talking about respect, though, it would be Michiro-sensei. He is the one who picked me up when I had hit rock-bottom, and I owe him most of what I know.”

Tenya nodded. He knew the courier. He always dropped whenever he joined the four friends at the basketball field. He wouldn’t call the man wise, but he could see why Izuku looked up to him.

“Mine would be my parents.” Kyoka hummed. “They aren’t heroes, but their work has always inspired me, and they are the reason I want to be a musician along with being a Hero.”

“I got no one in particular.” Denki shrugged. “But, if you really insist, it would be my friends. They’ve had my back as long as I’ve known them. The least I can do is get stronger to have theirs too.”

“And you, Shinso-kun?”

Hitoshi refused to answer.

‘_There is someone._’ He still thought. ‘_Someone who means the world to me. And he is at this table._’

Then the alarm rang.

“_Security level 3 has been broken. Students, please evacuate in an orderly fashion._”

Everybody froze. Itsuka was the first to realize.

“Security level 3 means… someone infiltrated the building!? How?”

They didn’t have time to wonder. Panic had seized the crowd, which was rushing straight to the exit while carrying everyone in its path. Izuku instantly summoned his wings and took flight. Itsuka was right behind.

“Hold me!”

The green-haired teen obeyed. Itsuka enlarged his hands and grabbed Neito in one and Hitoshi in the other.

“Neito, copy me and grab the others!”

The blonde teen obeyed. Soon, the whole group was in the air. Izuku grit his teeth.

“You guys are a bit too heavy…”

“Got that covered!”

With one touch, Ochako made everyone weightless. Izuku breathed and carefully flew to the exit. As they passed the window, Denki noticed something.

“Hey, the press got in!”

The group turned to the scene. Their eyes widened.

“They’ve gathered around Aizawa-sensei and Present Mic. This must be why the alarm rang.”

“There is nothing to fear if it’s just the press.” Neito frowned. “We need to calm everyone. Ideas?”

Ochako frowned.

“If you do, please hurry. I’m starting to feel sick.”

Izuku’s mind was in overdrive. Tenya teried to say something. The teen spoke first.

“Ochako, release gravity on Itsuka. Itsuka, throw Tenya at the exit. Tenya, tell everyone to calm down.”

“Really? I was about to ask you…”

“A bit complicated with everyone in my arms!”

“Uh. Right. Okay, let’s do this!”

The plan worked. Itsuka had no problem throwing Tenya at the exit. The tall teen had a stray thought about training to use his engines like rockets before he focused back and stepped on the Exit panel.

“**Everything is fine! This is just the press!**”

The words came naturally, calming and comforting the students as his tone inspired authority. The students calmed down and obeyed without a word. Izuku breathed and landed, Ochako releasing her Quirk. She still staggered on her feet. Izuku frowned.

“Hang on, I’ll take you to Recovery Girl.”

They made it, but not before stopping in a bathroom for an emergency stomach-emptying. Before resuming class, Tenya took the teen apart.

“It seems you were right about me. Honestly, it came a bit as a surprise…”

“Not to me. I told you, I don’t have this talent you showed. I can make plans and show care toward people, but I can’t lead them. That’s your shtick.”

“Indeed, your idea to calm the crowd was inspired. That’s why I have an offer, more exactly an agreement.”

Izuku perked up. Tenya explained.

“I agree to replace you as class president if you become my vice-president. I may have the leadership skills, but you got the planning skills. We will work better the two of us than me or you alone.”

“I see. A commander-advisor pairing. If that’s your plan, I agree. Let’s tell Aizawa-sensei.”

Their teacher agreed. None of the class found fault with that.

* * *

Yes, that's Inasa Yoarashi in Class 1-B. Because, if Class 1-A is going to have one more student with Hitoshi, it's only right that Class 1-B got one more student too. He still hates Todoroki, though...


	8. Make some noise

Basic Hero Training was always the most expected class of the week. Being able to cut loose on their powers while learning new and interesting ways to use them was as great as learning to be a true hero. All Might’s presence helped a lot. Today’s lesson was rescue training. Along with the Symbol of Peace, Aizawa and another teacher would be there.

Their costume on, the students stepped in the bus. Denki watched with a grin as Izuku and Momo traded manuals. Izuku whistled in appreciation while Momo hummed and nodded.

“Your knowledge of chemistry is impressive, Yaomomo. I’m no slouch in this field but it simply doesn’t compare.”

“Neither does my knowledge of music compare with yours. Our Quirks are both extremely intricate to harness, enough to require an entire encyclopedia, yet they can be used for mundane day-to-day tasks as much as they can be used to fight.”

“True… Actually, if you don’t mind me asking, has Power Loader-sensei or the support division contacted you? With your Quirk, you could create rare base materials that would be extremely handy in their work, and calling for you would seriously reduce costs because they wouldn’t have to ship the materials anymore or make deals with companies. It would greatly simplify their life. Also, it would give you more experience in creating rarer materials – and they may even pay you for it so free pocket money.”

Aizawa perked up and mentally smacked himself. Why, indeed, had no one thought about it? Momo gave him a look.

“Actually… you have a point. The support division hasn’t contacted me but a partnership could prove mutually beneficial. As for the money, you don’t need to worry. My family is fairly wealthy in its own right. I appreciate the concern, though.”

“You’re welcome.”

Momo turned to the book.

“Speaking of, the cloth-altering aspect of your Quirk is only limited by your imagination. Have _you_ tried to make fashion-level outfits to make money out of it?”

“Mom and I aren’t rich but we’re not _that_ poor either. That wouldn’t be fair for actual fashion designers and the people whose job is to craft the clothes. I mean, yeah sure, I’ve made somewhat high-class dresses and party suits for Mom and I and occasionally my friends, but it’s for personal use. We make no money out of it.”

“It’s true that abusing that aspect of our Quirks could cause an unbalance in the economy… Best to save it for specific goals.”

“My thoughts.”

The bus finally reached its destination. Contrary to what Eijiro thought, it wasn’t Universal Studio Japan. It was instead a training ground built by the Space Hero Thirteen, which contained every disaster and accident imaginable: The Unforeseen Simulation Join. Izuku grinned as Ochako fangirled over the Hero. Everyone had their idols. Unfortunately, it seemed his wouldn’t be present. All Might had reached some sort of limit and was currently resting. Thirteen started explaining.

“As I’m sure many of you are aware, my Quirk is called Black Hole. It can suck and tear anything apart.”

“And you’ve used it to save people’s lives!” Ochako beamed.

“Indeed. However, my power could easily kill. I’ve no doubt there are some among you with similar abilities.”

More than a few students mulled on the words. Mina grimaced at the memory of her acid. Denki winced as he remembered how his Quirk could injure not only others but himself. Yuga was thinking much the same.

“In our superpowered society, use of Quirks is heavily restricted and monitored. It may seem this system is a stable one, but we must never forget it only takes one wrong move with an uncontrollable Quirk for people to _**die**_.”

Aldera jumped at Izuku’s mind. There had been no casualty, but it was still a textbook example of Thirteen’s words… and, if Bakugo’s look was anything to go by, he was thinking the same thing. Thirteen crossed her arms.

“During Aizawa’s physical fitness test, you came to learn of your own hidden potential. With All Might’s battle training, you experienced the danger that your respective Quirks can pose to others…”

Izuku shared a look with Tenya. Given their turn had basically been a stealth run, the class had seen nothing of the dangers any of the four contestants’ Quirks could pose.

“This class will show you a new perspective: you will learn to utilize your Quirks to save lives. Remember: powers aren’t meant to inflict harm. I hope you leave here today with the understanding that you’re meant to help people.”

The class cheered. The lesson promised to be interesting!

Then a black swirl opened behind Aizawa, widening to let out a man covered with hands who was soon followed by an entire horde of villains. The whole class froze as Aizawa put his goggles on. The black swirl slowly took the shape of a wispy yellow-eyed man.

“Thirteen and Eraserhead, is it? According to our intel, All Might is supposed to be there.”

Aizawa growled.

“Of course, this whole incident was this bastard’s doing…”

Izuku didn’t lose time. Notes started playing in his head, translating into static that turned into a Gabba Bat.

“Find Amelia.” He instructed. “Tell her there’s trouble at the USJ. Make sure she brings backup _quick!_”

The Noise flew away at full speed, unnoticed. The hand-covered villain looked at the group, his eyes mad.

“_Where_ is _he…?_ _We’ve_ come _all the way_ and _brought_ so many _playmates…_ _All Might, the Symbol_ of Peace, _is he_ there…? _I wonder_ if _some dead_ kids _will_ bring him _there._”

Aizawa growled.

“Thirteen, evacuate the students. Anyone, try to contact the school…”

“Gabba Bat sent.” Izuku instantly said.

“Good. I will buy you time.”

“But, Sensei, you can’t fight them alone.” Hitoshi frowned. “You are an underground hero who specializes in sneak attacks. Fighting a crowd in the open is about the worst situation you could end in.”

“A good point, but only poor heroes are one-trick ponies. Here is my lesson for today: _if you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactic **sucks.**_”

On this, he took a can and spray-painted on the floor. Two Ethnicats emerged in a burst of static, black, silver and white. Aizawa unfolded his capture weapon and jumped into the fray, the Noises on his heel. The villains laughed.

“What, that’s all? A tired pseudo-ninja and a pair of graffiti kitties? You’re kidding, right?”

Then their firing Quirks failed to activate. Aizawa showed no mercy. Two were wrapped and smashed against each other. A villain with a mutant Quirk loomed, only for one Ethnicat to jump at his face and claw relentlessly. The man stumbled away, screaming. Aizawa snatched his leg and used his momentum to throw him at a cluster of mooks. A villain who tried to sneak attack him screamed as the second Ethnicat tackled him and bit in his neck.

Away from the scene, Thirteen was guiding the students to the exit when the wispy villain swirled before them.

“Greetings.” He said politely. “We are the League of Villains. Forgive our audacity, but we have come to U.A. High School, this bastion of heroism, to end the life of All Might, the Symbol of Peace. We were under the impression that he would be there today. Was his schedule revised? …No matter. **Begone.**”

His darkness spread, swallowing the group. When it faded, everyone from Thirteen to the students were gone.

Meanwhile, Amelia was working on a new algorithm when the Gabba Bat flew to her desk and collapsed. The informatician looked at it.

“Uh? Hey there, lil’ cutie. Why did Izuku send you to me?”

The Bat panted and rose painfully. The exhaustion didn’t stop it from flitting its wings like a maniac, sharp panicked squeaks escaping it.

“_Squeak! Squee squee squeak squeeky squee squeak squeeeaaak!!!_”

Amelia took one good look at it. On a hunch, she tried to contact the USJ. No matter how hard she tried and even with her Quirk’s help, the area wasn’t responding. At all. She took the Gabba Bat and made a beeline for the principal’s office. Nezu was there, quietly lecturing All Might – or, more exactly, Toshinori Yagi. Amelia raised a brow.

“…Toshi-san? What are you doing there?”

“I could return the question, Tanner-san.” Nezu retorted.

Amelia glared. Why the scarecrow man was there, she had no idea and there were more urgent matters at hand. She held the bat.

“Tell me, Principal, what would you call the USJ not responding at all and a Gabba Bat flying straight to me in a state of utter panic?”

The Noise had recovered and was now relentlessly pulling her sleeve.

“_Squeesqueesqueesquee squee!!!_”

Nezu and Toshinori looked at it, then at each other.

“…I’d call it a reason to tell everyone to lock and load and make a beeline for the USJ while praying everyone is alright by the time we get there. Let’s move!”

The trio scarpered out of the room.

In the USJ, students and teachers were finding themselves in quite the pickle. Tokoyami, Koda, Aoyama and Uraraka had found themselves in the Downpour Zone… which worked for the best as the darkness empowered Dark Shadow to nigh unstoppable levels. The villains never knew what hit them, Yuga, Ochako and Koji watching as Fumikage’s partner did most of the job.

Kirishima, Bekugo and Sero found themselves in the Ruin Zone. The villains there quickly found themselves wrapped up by Hanta and caught between the hammer that was Katsuki and the anvil that was Eijiro.

The villains of the Flood Zone thought they would have an easy time when confronted by Asui, Mineta, Ashido and Thirteen. After all, three were teenagers and the Space Hero didn’t specialize in fighting. Easy job, right? Not so much when Tsuyu proved right at home in the area, tagging every villain with Minoru’s sticky balls while Mina wove panic by throwing mildly corrosive acid in the water. Thirteen watched the teamwork with pride.

The Conflagration Zone where Ojiro, Hagakure, Sato and Shoji landed was quickly turned into a field of hide and seek, Toru stealthily neutralizing the villains while Mezo set up deadly traps around, Mashirao lured them and Rikido finished the now vulnerable opponents.

In the Mountain Zone, the villains quickly discovered that, just because Yaoyorozu looked like a stripper and Jiro and Kaminari like party-goers, that didn’t mean they were harmless. Kyoka’s earphone jacks moved like sound-blasting rope darts while Momo was quite handy with a staff. Denki fought bare-handed, but his body was cloaked in low-voltage electric armor that acted like a taser, and his fighting style was less martial arts and more weaponized breakdance.

The Landslide Zone villains were even less lucky than the rest, finding themselves with Todoroki, Iida, Shinso and Midoriya. Their opening move was smart: using a Quirk to create a quicksand, they managed to get Izuku. The teen yelped, Tenya and Hitoshi jumping to catch him as Shoto fended off the incoming villains. Desperate to break free, Izuku started to channel Apotheosis, static flowing from his back and to his arms. Tenya instantly let go. Hitoshi clung on. He wasn’t about to be fazed by static and his friend needed him!

He should have let go. The static jumped to him, and along came pain, raw and sharp. Hitoshi screamed. Tenya and Shoto turned to him and watched in horror as static danced all over his back. Hitoshi didn’t let go. He powered through the pain, fighting tears as Izuku fully transformed and jumped out of the quicksand in his neon and emerald form. Hitoshi collapsed, panting and crying. Tenya held him.

“Shinso-kun, are you alright? How do you feel?”

“Like… my back was brushed with… steel wool or a sc-scalpel. Ow…!”

Shoto frowned.

“Rest. We will handle these.”

Hitoshi weakly nodded and leaned against an ice wall the half-and-half teen had created. Tenya stayed at his side. He knew the scale of Shoto’s Quirk could be pretty impressive and Izuku in partial Apotheosis was remarkably strong. However, he had no idea what the green-haired teen could do fully transferred. He quickly found out.

Shoto sent a wave of ice that caught half of the villains right where they stood. One tried to use a fire Quirk to thaw his comrade. Izuku _pounced_, tackling the man before grabbing him by the ankle. The villain went flying a moment later, right in one of his still free comrades. Another aimed for Shoto. The transformed teen stepped before the attack. The blow didn’t leave a scratch. The next moment, the villain had a sphere of green energy in the stomach. A villain stepped, well over three meters and with a hard, rocky skin. The giant towered over the two teens with an ugly grin…

Shoto sent a wave that froze his feet. Izuku leaped again, but instead of tackling him, he landed feet-first. All three teenagers could see the green shockwave where their friend had landed: right in the chest. The giant staggered back, clearly stunned. Izuku landed, graffiti hand already cloaked in green energy. He swiped, and a wave of energy struck the villain. He didn’t rise. A female villain showed in armor, only to have the metal tear effortlessly under the teenager’s claws. The villainess quickly backed away, only to be caught in Shoto’s ice.

The villains dealt with, Izuku transformed back and went to his injured friend.

“Feeling better?”

“Yes. The cold helped soothe the pain.”

He awkwardly rose, his back still aching. Izuku frowned.

“They tried to swarm us with overwhelming numbers. Too bad two can play this game. Can you guys protect me while I’m out of it?”

“You’re going to use Cacophony?” Tenya asked.

Izuku nodded. Hitoshi frowned.

“Weird. There’s a strange sound buzzing in my head. It’s the first time I hear anything like that…”

The sound was ringing clearer and clearer. Instinctively, Hitoshi pushed it out. It happened all of a sudden. One moment he was looking at his hand and, the next, before the bewildered eyes of his friends, static covered him. When it faded, the teenager had _morphed_.

His body was now a featureless deep purple, his limbs having turned into a graffiti shape that had an unusual gunmetal grey color. His hands and legs were fairly similar to Izuku’s, but instead of being avian, his wings were more bat-like, able to fold into a secondary pair of arms. His purple mane had also become graffiti grey but was now adorned with a pair of chiropteran ears that stood proudly on his head. To complete the picture, a scorpion tail was waving in his back, sharp lines and metallic colors.

Izuku took one solid look at his friend’s new form.

“…Shit.”

Tenya and Shoto didn’t know how to react either. Hitoshi gave himself a once-over, using the ice’s reflective surface like a mirror. Shoto finally managed to speak.

“Well, that happened.”

It was an understatement, but it was still appropriate. The mind-manipulator caught himself. His writing on the ice was clumsy, but it was understandable.

_I’ll get the others._   
_Bring them there._

This made the other moves. Izuku nodded.

“Got it. I’ll unleash Cacophony. Tenya, Shoto, watch over me.”

Tenya nodded. Shoto frowned.

“I will make a bastion with my ice. This should be easier to defend.”

As Izuku sat down, the bi-colored teen manipulated his power to create an icy dome with a single exit. The pair stood protectively on each side. In the middle, Izuku closed his eyes and repeated.

“_Protect the teachers and the students. Maim but don’t kill the villains. Protect the teachers and the students. Maim but don’t kill the villains. Protect the teachers and the students. Maim but don’t kill the villains…_”

Setting friend and foe for Cacophony was always tedious. When he thought he had set the Noises’ attitude properly, he removed his earphones and immersed himself in the storm of sound. Static sizzled around him, giving birth to Noises of all shape and form, from tiny and adorable Frogs and Rabbeats to the terrifyingly huge Drakes. Shoto flinched before widening the entrance. None of the monsters attacked them.

Aizawa was battling in the plaza when the first Noises joined the fray. It only took him a look to understand what was going on.

“Of course. Fighting number with number, huh? Not a bad plan.”

Now, where was his problem child?

The Mountain Zone was mercifully close to the Landslide Zone. The Noises quickly reached it. Denki and Kyoka cheered when they saw them take on the villains still left. Momo frowned. She recognized some of them from having read Graffiti Heart’s manual, but she was still surprised when the electric teen whistled and a yellow and white unicorn came to him.

“Good boy, Honky. Now, let’s get outta here!”

Born of Cacophony or not, in Izuku’s mind, Pony Honkies were Denki’s partners. The Noises were subconsciously hardwired to obey him. An icy unicorn came to Momo and neighed gently. As Kyoka climbed behind her friend, Momo decided to imitate them and get on the Noise, silently thanking her parents for those equitation lessons.

“Take us to Izuku.” Denki ordered.

The Ponies obeyed, but not before making a detour by the plaza. Momo understood why when she saw Aizawa look around. She waved at him.

“Sensei, over there!”

Aizawa turned to her. A villain saw an opening and lunged…

“_Chain Lightning!_”

Lightning came from Pony Honky’s horn, frying the villain and jumping to two others. Denki grinned.

“Good boy, Honky.”

Aizawa lost no time getting behind Momo. A purple blur passed over them. Villains gathered, ready to block their path. Kyoka frowned.

“Yaomomo, tell it to use Icicle Storm!”

Momo obeyed.

“Use Icicle Storm! And which Pony is it, anyway?”

“Madison.”

Her mount’s horn glowed blue. Three icicles sprung from it, impaling a villain’s knee and both shoulders of another. The last villains were taken down by the sonic scream of a purple humanoid Noise that landed before them. The four blinked. The Noise looked a lot like Izuku’s Apotheosed form, but with slightly different limbs and a different color scheme. Static appeared from its foot.

_You’re alright._   
_If you’re looking for him,_   
_Izuku is in Landslide._   
_Shoto & Tenya are with him._

Aizawa’s blood ran cold. The humanoid Noise was one of the students in Apotheosis. This meant Izuku had granted one of his classmates the ability to use one of his Threshold Moves. What corner had he been backed into to so much as consider it!?

“Who are you?” He asked. “Don’t take it the wrong way, but you’re hard to recognize.”

_Hitoshi._   
_None taken._

Denki outright cursed.

“Damn it! If you’re this way… are the others alright?”

_Yes._   
_It was an accident._   
_Quicksand._   
_I should’ve let go…_

An incident involving quicksand? This didn’t bode well. At least, according to the transformed teen, his classmates were alright, and Izuku had obviously enough of his head to use Cacophony. The four headed to the Landslide Zone as Hitoshi took flight and went to the Ruin Zone.

When Noises started to out-swarm the villains, Bakugo took one good look at the scene and froze.

“Fuck me… It’s fuckin’ Aldera all over again! Nope. Hell nope, sign me the fuck out!”

On this, he turned away and found the darkest, narrowest corner to hide. Eijiro grimaced as Hitoshi entered the building.

“I’ll stay with him. Hanta, find the others. And who are you, dude?”

_Hitoshi._   
_Head to the Landslide Zone._   
_The Noises were instructed_   
_To protect you._

“Uh. I hope you’re right because Bakubro just had a freak out.”

Hanta left with Hitoshi. There was no time to ask question and, if his way of communicating was anything to go by, the mind-manipulator was mute. It didn’t take him long to find the ice dome. Relief washed over him as he saw Aizawa with Denki, Kyoka, Momo, Shoto and Tenya.

“Sero. You made it.” The teacher said sternly.

“Yeah, but Bakugo panicked at the horde’s sight and hid away. Kirishima is with him.”

Aizawa frowned. That was problematic… Nearby, Kyoka had taken hold of Izuku’s currently unused phone and was browsing tracks. Momo grunted. A moment later, a small loudspeaker emerged from her chest. The men dutifully looked away when they realized her top had been torn. Kyoka gave her friend’s chest one jealous look before removing her vest.

“Put this on.”

Momo obeyed, putting the vest in reverse so its back covered her chest. The sleeves were a bit tight, but nothing she couldn’t deal with. Kyoka frowned.

“Here is the Epic playlist. Now, which track to play…?”

Hanta looked at her.

“What are you doing?”

“We are going to play some music. Find a good track, hook the phone to the loudspeaker, strap it to a Raven and blast it full volume! This should give these bastards a pause.”

“They made their noise.” Momo frowned. “Time to make ours.”

Aizawa made an about-turn as a tune started playing.

“[This one](https://youtu.be/RKmw9oS__MM). Put this one on.”

“Aye, Sensei.”

The track started playing in earnest. Kyoka set it to loop and hooked the loudspeaker to the phone. A Nefastraven flew to the group. Hanta used his tape to strap it all together. The Raven took flight effortlessly and started circling the USJ. The students looked up.

Fumikage hummed as the music rang.

“What a fitting tune… Very well. Dark Shadow, _finish them._”

Dark Shadow lunged. The villains screamed.

In the Conflagration Zone, Rikido roared and hammered a villain’s head with both fists. Mezo chuckled.

“Gets your blood pumping, right? Come on, let’s get dangerous!”

His friend’s tail sent a villain flying into a wall.

Tsuyu, Minoru, Mina and Thirteen were already out of the Flood Zone thanks to some very helpful Shark and Gator Noises. A Dixiefrog had apparently taken a liking to the frog girl as it remained stubbornly to her side, its ribbits echoing hers. Hitoshi saw them. Calling them with a short shriek, he pointed insistently toward the Landslide Zone. Message taken. Thirteen nodded.

“Got it. We will head there.”

At the entrance. Tomura Shigaraki turned to Kurogiri as the Nomu hummed the air.

“_Kurogiri?_”

“Yes?”

“_Why do I_ hear _boss_ music?”

As the Noises swarmed the central plaza and Hitoshi harassed the villains with strafing runs, Kurogiri shrugged.

“Must be why.”

Shigaraki scratched his neck angrily. Faint red traces started to appear.

“I _hate it_. _I hate_ it so _much_. This _isn’t right_, this _isn’t_ right, _this _isn’t _**right…!**_”

“Shigaraki…”

“_**Shut up!**_ We brought _so many playmates_, we _even_ brought the _end boss_, Nomu… _and **these brats!**_ These brats _broke the game!_ They _broke_ it! _They_ broke _the_ game _we had_ planned! The _Symbol of Peace_ isn’t _there_… but if we_ kill_ the mook _maker, if we_ kill _that one brat_, it will _be alright_. It _will_ be _all_ good. _I am_ going to **_destroy _him**… _Rot_ his limbs _one by one_, and _then_… Nomu, _Nomu will tear_ him _apart_. Beat him _to a pulp_. Crush _his_ skull **_in his hands…!_** Kurogiri, _find the brat_ and take us _there_.”

Kurogiri obeyed. In a swirl, he engulfed Shigaraki and the Nomu. Thirteen and the rest of the students had just reunited with Aizawa at the ice dome when the trio appeared. Everyone jumped on the defensive. Shigaraki snarled.

“_He is there_, right? The _mook-making brat_. I _will_ rot _his_ limbs, _and_ then _let_ _Nomu have_ his _way_. If we can’t _get the Symbol of_ Peace, _this_ will _make a_ good _endgame_.”

Aizawa felt his blood boil. He and the students faced the villains.

“You will have to kill us first!”

“Can be _arranged…_”

Or not. Before any of the villains could move, Hitoshi dived from the sky and _shrieked_. The trio screamed. The Apotheosed teen landed before the group and pointed the villains before passing a finger on his throat. The message was clear. Shigaraki was livid.

“And _here comes_ the _miniboss_… Nomu, _deal with_ him.”

The hulking black creature stepped forward. Hitoshi silently snarled, his stinger tail sweeping nervously in his back. His wing-arms cracked their knuckles before unfolding, their edge a sharpened blade.

How was he going to deal with the monster?

The answer was obvious. Its brain was completely exposed. He would be stupid not to make use of it. After a tense moment, the pair lunged at each other. Suddenly, Hitoshi extended his wings and vaulted over his opponent, leaving it to crash in an ice wall Shoto had created. The transformed teen did more than jumping, however, stinging and leaving deep claw marks on his opponent’s hide. The wounds closed almost instantly, which made him grumble. The muscle kept cramping for a little longer. They danced around each other for a while, Hitoshi using every ounce of agility to evade the monster’s grasp while leaving cuts and stings that healed almost instantly. He needed an opening, just one…

“_Miniboss_ indeed.” Shigaraki hissed. “Too bad _Nomu had_ regenerative _and_ shock absorption _powers!_”

Hitoshi screeched. The Nomu reared. The teen saw his chance and leaped on its back. His stinger found the monster’s brain and stabbed, again and again and again, reducing the creature’s brain to a mess. It was gruesome enough most students looked away with a grimace. The Nomu fell and didn’t rise. Hitoshi turned to Shigaraki and Kurogiri and quirked a brow. Static covered the Nomu’s body.

_Next time, don’t let_   
_Such obvious weakness exposed._   
_You were going to_   
_Kill the Symbol of Peace with **that?**_

Shigaraki was fuming.

“You… I _will kill you!_ I will _crush_, I will _kill, I_ will _destroy…!_”

The two lunged. At the last moment, Hitoshi dropped under the villain’s sweeping hand. Shigaraki touched the Nomu instead. The moment he made contact, the beast started disintegrating. If the teen could sweat, it would have been cold. Aizawa himself was tense. His student seemed to have the fight covered since the villain moved rather clumsily, but if it looked like Hitoshi was about to get touched, he would cancel the disintegrator on the spot.

The transformed teen didn’t give him the chance. Dancing around his opponent with an odd grace for a creature partially made of graffiti, Hitoshi harassed Shigaraki with swipes from his two pairs of arms and stings from his tail. It became clear to the class that the villain was _not_ used to fighting. He had no form, his swings were too wide and predictable, his footwork was average at best…

‘_He is untrained._’ Hitoshi thought. ‘_And being clouded by his anger doesn’t help him at all._’

The teen finally got a lucky hit when his stinger hit Shigaraki’s knee. Next thing the villain knew, Hitoshi’s wing-arm had swept away the hand on his face. Hitoshi flung it to Aizawa, just to be safe. Hopefully, they could do something with it. Shigaraki starred at him.

“_Fa-Father…_ You took _father…!_ Kurogiri!”

The cloud villain reacted, but not the way his partner expected.

“We’re getting out. Sorry, Shigaraki, but if a single teenager can put up that much of a fight, it isn’t worth it. We will come back later with better men, but there’s no way we can win right now.”

“_No, wait,_ Kurogiri! _Father…_”

The cloudy villain swallowed his partner and disappeared. Hitoshi waited a full minute before transforming back. All Might and the teachers arrived at that very moment.

“_**We are here! …Too late for the party, it seems.**_”

The whole class looked at one another.

“Yep.”

* * *

**Merry early asskicking Christmas to you all !** I'll be with my cousin and my grandmother that evening, so might as well post this chapter now...

And why does formating have to be such a chore ?!


	9. Purple and green

Cleaning up after the incident was a chore. Izuku was snapped out of his trance, the villains were easily apprehended, Bakugo and Kirishima were retrieved from the Ruin Zone and the students were hushed back to U.A. to be checked by Recovery Girl. There was no casualty to speak of save the Nomu, whose body was sent to a lab alongside the stolen hand in hopes for answers. The teachers’ pride, though they would never admit it, was also wounded.

“It should have never happened.” Vlad King said bitterly. “The students had to fight for their lives against a mass invasion of villains. Those bastards should have never put a single foot in U.A.”

“Yet they did.” Present Mic frowned. “We were lucky Class 1-A managed to fight back, and even more that Midoriya has so much control over his Quirk. His Noises were not just friendly but protective of us when we showed.”

“We were late.” Amelia said bitterly. “We were _late_. If the students hadn’t managed to fight back, we would be looking at _casualties_. I’m going back to my PC to make sure there won’t be a repeat.”

The teachers let her. Aizawa was frowning. Thirteen was silent. All Might was sour. Nezu closed his eyes.

“I trust Amelia to handle U. A’s digital protection. Now, the question is: what can we do to make sure it never happens again? I have my ideas, but I’m sure you do as well, so let’s hear yours first.”

The teachers started talking.

Meanwhile, the students were changing into their uniforms. The room was oddly quiet. Eventually, Eijiro spoke.

“Hey, Bakubro, you alright?”

“For the third time, Shitty Hair, yes, I’m fine. Why do you keep asking!?”

“Because you looked pretty spooked, back then. I mean, the Noises were friendly. There was no reason to panic…”

“Like fucking hell, there was! What if Deku lost control!? You have any idea what kinda mayhem those monsters can make? Because I do, Shitty Hair. I fuckin’ do. That fucking swarm was my childhood nightmare come true, and seven years of therapy have only erased my fear of crowds, not my fear of these creepy beasties running at me en masse. I swear, for a moment, I thought I was back at Aldera…”

Hanta frowned.

“Aldera again. You mentioned it a few times before. What happened?”

Bakugo and Izuku both grimaced. Hitoshi and Denki shared a look. Which of the two teens was going to explain?

Bakugo did.

“Aldera was our middle school before Deku used Cacophony and ruined it. Back then, we used to pester him because his monsters look weird and delinquent-styled, so we used to joke he’d never become a Hero…”

“It _did not_ feel like a joke. What you did was straight-up bullying, Kacchan.”

“Whatever. Anyway, one day, Deku couldn’t take it and screamed at us to shut up. Next thing we knew, there was static all around him and monsters were coming from it. They attacked everyone, teachers and students alike. People got hurt. The school was wrecked. All Might came and managed to rescue those still trapped inside, but there were just too many monsters. For every one he dispelled, three more came. It took Mama Midoriya snapping Deku for the swarm to fade. I’ve had nightmares about it since that day – _and if you tell anyone outside the fuckin’ class, someone’s gonna end up dead. **Got it, the extras?!**_”

The outburst made everyone meekly nod. Bakugo huffed.

“Anyway, aside from the nightmare, that bloody clusterfuck made me nervous around large crowds. Everyone’s got Quirks, these days, so anytime I stepped in one, I got scarred they’d suddenly start using them like the monsters used their powers willy-nilly. Had to go to a fuckin’ shrink to get rid of the problem because I’m not a wimp and I’m gonna deal with large crowds once I’m a Hero. Phobia’s gone. Still not over the monsters. That part’s taking longer.”

The room remained silent for a moment. Eventually, Izuku spoke.

“If it makes you feel better, Kacchan, I spent the next weeks after the incident completely shut in my room and outright refused to use my Quirk again. It’s only after I met Michiro-sensei that I managed to leave and start using my Quirk – and even then, I never ever summoned a Noise at school until I saw some students bullying Hitoshi.”

Bakugo gave the teen a weird look.

“What were you scared about? You caused the friggin’ mess!”

“**You started it by bullying me to the point I pushed the storm out to shroud my head so I couldn’t hear you and those assholes!**”

The sudden shout made everyone jump. As far as they knew, this was the first time Izuku was _shouting_. Even Bakugo was surprised.

“You bullied me.” Izuku said coldly. “You kept saying my monsters sucked, the style was delinquent, my Quirk was villainous and I would never make it as a Hero. I tried to shut you. I tried to focus on the cacophony in my head so I wouldn’t hear you. I tried to wrap my head in it like a blanket. Noises are made when I arrange sounds into melodies. Pushing base notes out only produces color. How was I supposed to know pushing the storm out would make them all appear instead of flash-painting the surroundings? Yes, Aldera was caused by me losing control. But you drove me to use my Quirk first, _Kacchan_. What happened there is both of our fault.”

On this, he turned away. The message was clear: the conversation was over. Their classmates looked awkwardly at each other before focusing back on changing. They could ask more questions later. Hitoshi removed his top. He felt a bit gross so some scrubbing at the sink couldn’t hurt…

“_Mon ami_, when did you get that!?”

People turned to Yuga, then to Hitoshi. Shoji blinked.

“He’s right. When did you get that tattoo?”

“A tattoo?”

“In your back.” Denki frowned. “There’s a mirror at the sink. You should be able to see it.”

Hitoshi went to the sink and looked at the mirror. Indeed, the two mirrors facing one another reflected the picture on his back.

It was a rearing, roaring leonine creature with bat wings, an oddly human face and a stinger tail. Its body was a deep purple, the same shade as his transformed form. Its limbs, however, were gunmetal grey. The wings were spread wide, their tip partially covering the teen’s shoulder while its legs framed the small of his back, the tail curving between them until the stinger’s tip reached the top of his rear.

Hitoshi remembered the pain when the static had jumped from Izuku to him.

“It must have been when. But what _is_ that creature? That’s not a regular animal.”

If he focused, he could hear the strange melody in the back of his head. He seized it and let some flow on his back. Everyone stepped back as the wings came alive. Izuku looked at it.

“I have no tattoo in my back.”

It was true. His classmates could confirm. Hitoshi dismissed the wings, cleaned up and put his uniform on. Shoto, who had finished dressing, was looking at his phone.

“Wings… Lion… Stinger… Found it. That creature is a _manticore_, or at least a more modern depiction of it.”

“Hold it. Explaining for explaining, might as well do it in front of the whole class.”

They did. Aizawa was surprised to see the tattoo, and even more when Hitoshi brought the wings to life. He raised his hand and glared.

“I am going to stop you right away and put my veto. _No one else_ is getting that ability. No one, not even me. And don’t even think of going to Nezu. Shinso got Apotheosis by accident, and given what we’ve seen him do, the last thing the school needs is a full class of students with that kind of power. Remember: this is a Threshold Move. A last resort technique. Do. Or. Die. Right now, I trust none of you to use this kind of power wisely. _Matter closed_. Did I make myself clear?”

“_Yes, Sensei_.”

“Good. Now, Todoroki, what kind of creature did you say it was?”

“A manticore.” The half-and-half teen said. “A creature from the Persian legends. The name comes from the old Persian _mardya-khowr_, man-eater. Original depictions give it no wings, three rows of teeth and a tail that shoots spikes instead of being a stinger. It is also red-furred. The stinger and wings are more modern additions. Also, its voice is described as halfway between flutes and trumpets.”

“Not exactly a sonic scream but it must still be weird to hear.” Ojiro hummed.

Izuku looked at his phone and raised a brow.

“Uh? That’s fun: manticores are often assumed to be apocryphal descriptions of tigers. It’s… true that they have some traits in common.”

“Manticores are twisted versions of tigers!?” Mina scoffed. “Are you kidding?”

“I’m just reading the article. But, between the red fur, weird voice and man-eating a bit, there are some common points.”

“So, my Apotheosed form is based on a mythic beast.” Hitoshi hummed. “But Izuku looks like a rabbit. Moon Rabbit aside, what legends are around about magic bunnies?”

“T-The Dread Rabbit of Caerbannog.” Koda said softly.

“That’s not a legend. It just comes from a legendary movie.”

“The jackalope.” Kyoka said. “It’s a rabbit that has antlers and eats the heart of predators that feed on rabbits.”

“I don’t have antlers.” Izuku noted.

“There is the Al’Miraj.” Momo supplied. “An Arabic rabbit with a single horn that is fiercely territorial, fights and kills creatures several times its size with no effort and is vicious enough Islam recommends witchcraft against it – and Islam_ utterly forbids_ witchcraft. Big horn aside, I say it sums Midoriya’s fighting style well.”

“It still has a horn.”

“…You know what? Let’s say it’s a Vorpal Bunny and call it a day.”

“Deal.”

“Good.” Aizawa sighed. “Now, everybody goes home. Class is over and we all need to rest.”

No one argued.

Week-end came and everyone blessed those two days of rest. Much as he wanted to sleep, Aizawa decided to visit a place. He had meant to do it for a while, but being a teacher was a lot of work, and being an underground Hero cut into his time of sleep. Now he had time for himself, he decided to head to Shadda’s Crossing. This was the place where his problem kids trained and he was admittedly curious…

He blinked when he saw the maze that was the area.

“Did Escher design this place!?”

No wonder they used it for free-running. Between the alleys, the stairs and the rooftops, going anywhere in a straight line was nigh-impossible. There was music thrumming in the air, swift, [fast-paced and Japanese-sounding](https://youtu.be/OXBcBugpHZg). On a panel were written the rules.

_Follow the arrows._  
_Green arrows are the easy path close to the ground._  
_Orange arrows are the standard path between ground and roof._  
_Red arrows are the hard path across the rooftops._  
_Beginners are strongly advised to start with green._

Aizawa was anything but a beginner. Still, he followed the green arrows. The music thrummed, setting the pace of his run. He started slowly, a jog that made him jump above a row of flower display cases and straight until the arrow led to a wall he ran on, clinging to the edge before listing himself. The music picked up. So did he. He ran faster, following the arrows. Turn left, straight ahead, right, slide under some pipes vault over a display case, left, zigzag in the jagged alleyway, up the walkways and down to ground level, roll to cushion the fall, straight, straight, right, up, left, jump, slide, hop-hop-hop, vault, left, right, left, right, right, left, straight, up, down, straight…  
He found himself where he’d started, panting but happy. The course was entertainingly challenging, more a test of endurance and agility than it was of speed. He found the exercise fulfilling.

“Shota Aizawa? Izuku was wondering when you’d show up.”

Aizawa looked up to meet a tall and broad man looking down on him. The man, square-jawed and black-haired, was giving him an amused look.

“You know my problem kid?”

“I know all four: I taught them. Michiro Honda, at your service.”

Michiro-sensei, Aizawa realized. The man was the Fearsome Foursome’s secondary teacher and mentor.

“Are they around right now?”

“Yes. Hitoshi gained the ability to Apotheose in the USJ. Now, Izuku is teaching him to move around. They’ve spent an hour on the green course to let Hitoshi get the hang on his graffiti limbs. Now, they’re trying the orange course. It’s funny to watch.”

Aizawa followed the courier above the streets, following a series of orange arrows until Michiro left the path and headed to a rooftop. After a short walk, they finally found the pair. Aizawa tilted his head.

Izuku was partially transformed and following the arrows at jogging pace. Hitoshi was behind, alternating between biped and quadruped walk. They reached a section of the course that went across a wall and Izuku crossed it on all four. Hitoshi was clearly more reluctant.

“It’s alright, you can do it.” The teen reassured. “Your claws give you some grip. You’re not at risk of falling. Not that much.”

“Reassuring…” Hitoshi grumbled.

Yet, he took a few steps back and ran at the wall, then on the wall on all four. He still barely made it to the other side, Izuku gripping his arm and dragging him up.

“Close call.”

“It took me three years to get the hang on it, Hitochan. You Apotheosed two days ago. Give yourself time.”

Aizawa snorted. Hitochan? That was the first time he heard the nickname. The two teens followed the arrows across a rooftop, Hitoshi effortlessly crossing it. However, instead of using the gutter, Izuku guided his friend to the wall.

“I told you, your claws give you traction. You can climb walls easily. Besides, if you try the usual path and take the gutter, your claws will tear it apart. I know, I’ve made the mistake a few times at the start.”

Hitoshi sighed and trusted his friend. He was surprised to discover that yes, his claws let him climb walls.

“It’s one thing to see you do it. It’s a different matter to do it yourself!”

Izuku laughed. The two went back to following the arrows. Aizawa looked at them. The two were always close at U.A, but there was something to be said about watching them interact outside the school. Izuku was patient, caring and encouraging, always cheering his friend and giving him tips and advices. Hitoshi listened to them. There was something in the teen’s voice and eyes. Michiro grinned.

“You noticed it too, right? Yeah, Hitoshi got a crush. I wonder how long until he finds the nerve to confess.”

Aizawa gave him a weird look.

“I’ve noticed they were close, but an outright crush?”

“It’s one-sided for now, but Hitoshi is very much head over heels for Izuku. At the same time, who can blame him? It’s all thanks to Izuku befriending him that he went from a bullied kid with a villain Quirk to the teenager he is now. And, knowing our green head, I doubt he’ll mind returning the feelings once he’s aware of them. Izuku is attracted to kindness. With him, it’s less what’s between your legs and how you treat him. And he is Hitoshi’s most important person.”

Aizawa hummed. The two men kept talking for a while before Michiro challenged him to the now-unused orange course. Aizawa agreed, confident in his skills. They went easy the first round so he could memorize the path, then raced the second round. Michiro outran him effortlessly.

He returned the next day, intent on trying the red course. To his surprise, aside from the Fearsome Foursome, a certain number of students had joined them. There were Iida and Uraraka, of course, but also Ojiro, Asui and Sero – kinda normal, he thought. Those three were the most physically agile of the class. More surprising was the presence of Class 1-B students. He recognized Kendo and Monoma, along with Rin and Tsunotori, Tokage, Honenuki and Kamakiri. Iida and Rin seemed to be having an argument and Jiro had a laptop with a projector ready and set. A Decadraven was on her shoulder.

“I hope you’re prepared, because I’m going to leave you in the dust, Iida.”

“Rin, last time I heard, you didn’t have engines in your legs. Prepare yourself to eat mine!”

Denki laughed.

“Ladies and gentlemen, the first race of the day: the ingenious engine-man against the dragon-scaled boy, Tenya Iida versus Hiryu Rin! Challengers, on your mark!”

Tenya and Hiryu got ready. Kyoka smirked.

“Time for some music. Ready to dance?”

She picked a track and played it.

_ [UNTZ-UNTZ-UNTZ-UNTZ-UNTZ](https://youtu.be/doEwWzMz99A) _

The two teens ran. The Decadraven took flight with a phone in its talons. _A drone_, Aizawa realized. The projector allowed the students to watch the race in real time. They cheered and booed fiercely as Tenya effortlessly overtook Hiryu, but the Chinese boy was definitely the more agile, and Tenya had to get resourceful to maintain the advantage, switching gears on the spot, calculating in a blink, calibrating his engines to balance speed and agility… To him, it was a challenge of the mind as much as the body. Hiryu didn’t have to do all that. He just had to have better reflexes and try to overtake his opponent in tight turns. He still didn’t make it. After five minutes of intense competition, Tenya crossed the finishing line, Hiryu on his heels, defeated by a second only. Tenya breathed.

“Alright. I’ll admit, you’re fast.”

Hiryu struggled to catch his breath.

“Almost. I almost got you. Thought the tight turns would get you…”

“No, but it was close. Never had to calibrate my engines so much in one race…”

Next round was Tsuyu against Pony. On the orange course. Aizawa frowned deeply. He had gone the course yesterday and had found it fairly difficult. This made him worried about his students. The two girls got in position and Kyoka played a new track.

_ [Dam-dam-dam dalam-damdamdam-dam dam-dalamdam-dam-dam damdam-dalam-dalam-dam-dam…](https://youtu.be/k85mRPqvMbE) _

The two girls ran, and the Hero could clearly see why they would compete. Aside from being both animal-themed with a propensity for going on all four, their animal traits enhanced several physical traits. Pony was an amazing runner, but Tsuyu was bar none the best jumper, and even though the horse girl outran her opponent effortlessly, the moment it came to jumping and overcoming obstacles, the frog girl took over. It was a heated race from start to finish, the victor uncertain until the last moment where Tsuyu piped Pony at the post with one final jump. Her classmates cheered her while Pony was comforted by her friends.

Then Neito challenged Hitoshi. On the red course. Hitoshi laughed.

“You don’t want to do that.”

“Really?”

“Really, and I’m saying that for your sake. The red course goes across the rooftops. Fail a jump and you’ll fall to your death. You aren’t a friend, but you aren’t a foe either. I don’t want to risk you getting hurt.”

Neito grumbled.

“Fine. Orange course it is. But you better give it your best, Shinso!”

“Please, Shadda’s Crossing is my spot!”

They got in position as Kyoka picked a new track. [It started softly, a gentle flute melody echoing…](https://youtu.be/n-Dh3ftkRAs) The two teens started appropriately slowly, right until the music picked up, swift and bombastic. The students – and Aizawa from his spot – watched as the pair ran across alleys and walkways. Neito was fast, no argument there. But Hitoshi was simply _better_. Everybody could tell he knew the course by heart. Each turn was taken with just the right tightness, each obstacle passed as if it wasn’t there. Neito quickly fell behind, especially when came the wall-run.

‘_He moves like a cat._’ Aizawa noted.

Indeed, for someone whose Quirk was simple Bainwashing, the purple-haired teen displayed athletic skills one wouldn’t have expected in someone with that kind of power. He effortlessly outran his opponent with speed and grace and wasn’t even tired when he reached the finishing line. Neito followed thirty seconds later, completely wrung. Itsuka sighed.

“You should really learn to pick on people your size, Neito.”

“His Quirk… isn’t even… athletic. How’s he so good!?”

“Practice. Plenty of it. I warned you Shadda’s Crossing was my spot.”

“And it’s not even the first time that moron makes that mistake.”

“Whose side are you on… Itsuka?”

“Ours, so long as you don’t do anything stupid. Challenging Shinso-kun at an activity people _repeatedly said_ he was the best at was definitely idiotic.”

Neito groaned. A thought crossed Aizawa’s mind. He left his spot and went to the students who jumped when they saw him.

“Sensei? What are you doing there?”

“I was going to try the red course but I got distracted watching you. I approve of the activity, by the way. It’s a good way to sharpen your skills outside of school.”

Tenya and Itsuka beamed at having the teacher’s approval. Hitoshi stretched.

“Are you going to run it alone or are you going to challenge one of us?”

He almost flinched at Aizawa’s glare.

“I will run against Midoriya. Shinso, you just ran the course, so I will let you catch your breath and I don’t trust anyone else on a rooftop race. Meanwhile, I have my capture weapon and your classmate has his wings and has been practicing for several years. Of all of you, he is the one I am most confident of on a race like that.”

The argument was valid. Kyoka picked a new track as teacher and student went in position. Denki opened his arms.

“And now, the final race of the day: the Unseen Hero Eraserhead against our local Green Blur, Izuku! On your marks… go!”

The pair ran as [the music started, all frantic strings and percussions](https://youtu.be/lmsIVpXcu5k). The pair quickly got up the roofs and hopped left and right, crossing gaps, climbing gutters, going up and down, balancing on edges and cornices. It was an amazing display of skills between teacher and student, Izuku helped by his knowledge of the course while Aizawa’s peak physique allowed him to keep up. The two moved with the same grace, ran with the same speed, each of their movements honed by years of practice. It was a sight to see, and the students lost none of it, their breath catching in their throat with every daring stunt.

The race came to a head atop one of the Crossing’s highest buildings, a fifteen-meter abandoned social housing. Aizawa stopped in his tracks when the red arrow showed straight down. Izuku noticed and grinned, standing at the building’s edge.

“Yeah, the Angel Dive is always considered the riskiest part of the course. Don’t worry, the trampoline is resilient. We check the springs and the fabric every week.”

Aizawa checked and, indeed, there was a large blue trampoline stretched over a somewhat-deep hole to catch the divers. It didn’t make him feel safe. At all. High dives like these were always risky. Yet, Izuku didn’t hesitate to jump, arms spread and legs stuck, rolling midair so he landed on his back. The trampoline caught him. Aizawa waited until he was out to follow. Taking a few steps back, he ran to the edge and dived as his students had done, arms spread and legs stuck, rolling midair to land on his back. He bounced on the trampoline, silently glad the device was well-maintained, and allowed himself a few pants.

“That was risky.”

“That’s why it’s part of the red course. Don’t worry, we did all we could to make the jump safe.”

That part was true, he could confirm.

“You and your friends are a bunch of daredevils.”

Izuku laughed.

“True, but the risks are always calculated.”

“A good thing you’re good at math, then.”

Aizawa let himself rest on the trampoline. He should go to this place more often.


	10. The definition of friendship and rivalry

The start of the week was marked by an important announcement. Indeed, the Sport Festival was approaching. Everyone was naturally excited, and rivalry was running high. Izuku inwardly grimaced. He didn’t enjoy the concept of rivalry. He stayed close to his friends the entire day, finding comfort in their presence. Hitoshi, Kyoka and Denki sensed his unease because they remained protectively at his side. When Ochako explained her reason, they cheered her on and comforted her. When Tenya expressed his desire to show off for his brother, they told him to go for broke. They whooped at Eijiro and Tetsutetsu’s promise to beat the other. Never a mean word, only encouragement.

Then the other classes came and Bakugo practically declared war upon them. Izuku mentally face-palmed.

“Please, don’t take him seriously. He’s just an arrogant, competitive hothead.”

His words fell on deaf ears.

The Sport Festival finally started. As the students gathered in the changing room, changing into their sport uniform, Izuku watched Denki adjust his headphones. There had been a bit of arguing over whether or not the blonde was allowed to keep them. The jury had relented after Nezu had pointed they were about as necessary to him as Izuku’s own headphones. Without them, his friend couldn’t use his power without risking brain damage. As for Izuku himself, Monoma’s copying attempt was proof enough. The teen _needed_ the music to drown the cacophony. No if, no but, no coconut.

In the bleachers, Michiro and Inko sat with Amelia and Toshinori. They were joined, to their surprise, by Tensei Iida. Michiro raised a brow.

“Tensei? What are you doing there?”

Tensei chuckled.

“There was no way I was going to miss my little brother’s first Sport Festival. What about you, Michiro? What are you doing there?”

“Well, four of my students are participating and Toshi-san here somehow managed to get tickets for Inko and I. He also got them for the Jiros…”

As if on cue, Kyotoku and Mika Jiro sat with the group. Inko looked around.

“Where are the Kaminaris and the Shinsos?”

“The Shinsos refused to come.” Toshinori sighed. “You know as well as I do that they don’t care much for their son.”

“True. How many nights did Hitoshi-kun spend in our home? And the Kaminaris?”

“Too busy, unfortunately. They told us to cheer their son for them.”

“Uh. I hope they have time to watch the rewind with Denki-kun that evening.”

“I hope so too. Their work keeps them busy, but they very much treasure their son.”

Michiro’s daughter was also with them. Eiko bounced on her father’s knees, excitement all over her face.

“Dad, Dad, when will they show up?”

“Soon, Baby Bird. Who’s going to give the athlete’s oath Toshi-san?”

“The student with the highest score at the entrance exam… namely, Young Izuku.”

Michiro winced.

“Izuku has never been one for speeches or speaking in public. This can go every way possible.”

Meanwhile, the students were getting ready. With no warning whatsoever, Shoto came to Izuku. The teen looked at him, ready to offer encouragement. Instead, Shoto spoke.

“Objectively speaking, we are evenly matched. My Quirk can fend off your Cacophony, but your Apotheosed form makes you considerably more resilient… but it isn’t a reason. At the end of the day, I _will_ beat you.”

The words caught Izuku by surprise. The teen frowned, looking nervously at his friends.

“…Maybe you will. Good luck, Todoroki-kun. If you win, no hard feelings. We both gave it our best.”

The rest of the class watched them. Bakugo frowned.

“Hey, Deku, Hot-and-Cold just said he’ll kick your ass and that’s how you react?”

“Yes? Where the problem with that?”

“Bro.” Kirishima crossed his arms. “Todoroki just acknowledged you as his rival. The two of you are the toughest of the class. He’s gonna fight you to the best of his skills.”

Izuku winced at the word.

“Of course, he will. This is the Sport Festival. If there’s one moment where we should all give our best, that’s it. But I see your point, both of you. And I have been purposely avoiding it.”

Shoto, Eijiro and Bakugo looked at one another.

“You’ve been… avoiding rivalry? Why? With all your power, why would you be a wimp, Deku?”

“He’s got a point, bro.” Eijiro noted. “Shunning rivals isn’t manly at all.”

Shoto frowned.

“Does it mean you’re turning down my challenge?”

They almost jumped when Izuku made a snarl-like noise.

“I am being neither a wimp not a coward. I just don’t care about competition and rivalry. The only person you should strive to beat is yourself, not others. If I can be better than I was yesterday, then I’ll consider it a victory. I don’t care if I can’t beat others so long as I give it my best and improve myself. As long as my friends are smiling at my side, I couldn’t care less where I end.”

“With such an attitude, you will be trampled by those who aim to beat you.” Shoto frowned.

“As I said, I don’t care. I’m not out to beat anyone, not willingly. I am here to show the world what I can do and watch my friends do the same. Maybe I will beat you, Todoroki. Maybe I won’t. So long as we give our all and there’s no hard feeling between us, so long as we can smile at each other afterward, I will count either outcome as a victory.”

“…I don’t understand.”

“Of course, you don’t. You don’t have friends. You have no idea what I’m talking about because you never experienced friendship. _Sometimes, we have people we treasure more than ourselves._”

The words struck a chord. Bakugo blinked.

“People more important than yourself? Don’t be silly, Deku. There’s no such person in the world.”

“To you, maybe. Everybody knows you’re an egocentric jackass. But we all have people we care about. Our family, our friends… What kind of people would we be if we valued our own happiness over theirs? That’s why I’m not interested in having rivals. I don’t want to trample over people and make them sad. I want people who smile and stand by my side. Not before. And neither behind.”

“…I don’t get it. I just don’t.”

“I don’t understand you privileging friendship over rivalry.” Shoto admitted. “But there is someone whose happiness matters more than mine. I hope she’s watching the event. And I hope I’ll make her proud.” _Watch me, Mom, _he thought._ I will win it with your ice alone. I will never use Father’s flames once._

Shoji gave him a strangely soft look.

“You have a heart of gold, Midoriya.”

Eijiro solemnly nodded.

“I take back what I said. In a way, your mentality is very, very manly. Hey, guys, drinks are on me when it’s over!”

This earned him a roomful of cheers. Tsuyu smiled.

“I will bring the snacks, then.”

“No hard feelings!” Rikido hollered. “If we lose, we lose! If we win, hail to the winner!”

“_**Yeah!**_”

The class emerged from the locker room and into the stadium, grinning and beaming with confidence under the applause of the spectators. Class -B joined them. The students lost no time sharing friendly ribbing and encouragement. Tetsutetsu took Kirishima in a weak choke-hold.

“I’m gonna kick your ass bro!”

“Bring it, bro! And feel free to snatch drinks and snacks after the event.”

“What? You guys are having drinks? Hey, everyone, Class A is bringing the drinks!”

“What? Save us some!”

“We’ll bring some too! Can’t have you A guys do all the work!”

“Alright, it’s a party! Good luck, everyone!”

“Yeah, you guys are gonna need it!”

Just like that, any hostility vanished between the two classes. The other courses gave them a weird look. Midnight stepped on the stage and called for the athlete’s oath.

“From Class 1-A, the student representative will be Izuku Midoriya, who ranked first place at the entrance exam by blowing the rescue score sky-high! Midoriya, take the stage!”

Izuku groaned.

“Just my luck…”

“Don’t worry, you’ll do fine.” Hitoshi reassured.

“If you don’t know what to say, just wish everyone luck.” Kyoka wisely suggested.

Izuku considered doing exactly that. Denki rubbed his shoulder to cheer him up. The teen stepped on the stage and breathed, focusing on the music playing in his head.

He could do as Kyoka had suggested, simply wishing everyone luck. He decided against it. He would say much more than that. He cleared his throat.

“…Moments ago, in the locker, I got in an argument with some of my classmates who wanted to become my rivals. I am not interested in making rivals. I am not looking forward to fighting and struggling against people. The only person I’ve ever fought and struggled against is myself. Instead, I offered them the hand of friendship. What I told them then, I tell it to all of you now: it doesn’t matter where we end, if we win or if we lose so long as we give this event our best! So long as we fight with everything we got! There will always be someone at the top, and there will always be someone at the bottom, no matter what we do, in this event, in class and in our everyday jobs! So, where we end doesn’t matter. What matters is that we do our best. We give everything and, that evening, we look at ourselves in the mirror and feel no regret for what we’ve done. And then, we turn to our friends and the people we care about, and we smile and cheer and share drinks and snacks. So long as we can do this with the people we care about, what does it matter where we end? We will struggle today, all of us! We will compete against each other, but also against ourselves! And then we’ll go and take rest and party with our loved ones and everything will be fine!”

The teen opened his arms. The crowd held its breath.

“Good luck, everyone. Let’s do our best.”

The stadium went wild.

Michiro grinned.

“This honestly went better than I thought.”

Inko, Eiko and the Jiros were cheering while Tensei looked thoughtful. Toshinori hummed.

‘_The more I look at you, the more you feel like the right choice to inherit One for All. Between your powerful Quirk, your skills and your kind heart, you would make an amazing Bearer. Your friend, Young Hitoshi, would be a great Bearer too, and maybe I will ask him if you refuse. There is also this boy Nezu introduced that interns with my old friend Mirai, Mirio Togata. The boy has potential… but you remain my first choice. I hope with all my heart that you accept when I finally ask you, Young Izuku._’

Midnight applauded with the crowd and introduced the first challenge of the Sport Festival: the Obstacle Course Race. Izuku instantly recognized the doors.

“They’re the same as the Entrance Exam! The doors themselves are an obstacle!”

“Getting serious right off the bat, huh? I’d expect no less from U.A.” Denki grinned.

Midnight glared.

“Also, as an additional rule, we are aware some people are capable of flight. This will be strictly forbidden. All contestants are strongly advised to keep both feet on the ground, thank you very much!”

Izuku and Hitoshi both hung their head.

“Welp, here goes the plan.”

The race started. The two teens shifted their limbs to graffiti and sprang above the crowd. Right off the bat, Todoroki took first place and froze the ground as soon as he passed the gates. Many students were caught in the blast. The students of Class A and B were expecting the move. All of them dodged and followed the bi-colored teen. In the commentator’s booth, Present Mic was having the time of his life.

“Well, ain’t that a _cold_ move? Todoroki has taken the lead by _icing_ the competition! Too bad some managed to avoid the _cold snap_…”

Aizawa groaned at his friend’s puns. Below, the first true obstacle appeared. Hitoshi screeched in his steps.

“Zero-pointers!? Are they kidding?”

Present Mic laughed.

“And here is the first true challenge of the course: the dreaded opponents of the Entrance Exam, the Executor Bots!”

Shoto didn’t slow down.

“I’ve seen worse.”

On this, he summoned his Quirk and froze the nearest bot, slipping between its legs and evading the threat. Izuku took a different approach. Taking his phone, he played _BFG Division_ at full volume, Doom Metal Drakes springing from the static and making a beeline for the bots.

“That should slow them down. Everybody hurries!”

Present Mic whistled.

“And… here is how you do things in Class 1-A: you either act _cool_ and leave nothing to chance or you are a team player who _dooms_ the opposition to keep your buddies safe.”

Izuku groaned at the pun. The other students jumped on his offer, using the distraction to evade the bots and going further. Mei Hatsume yelped when an Executor’s fist went straight to her, only to breathe in relief when a Doom Metal Drake took the blow and sent orbs at the machine’s face.

“Thanks!”

The Drake roared gently and went back to fighting. The girl followed the path. The second obstacle quickly appeared: the Fall, a series of stone platforms connected by tightropes. Todoroki didn’t slow down, crossing the roles like they were a meter long. Bakugo followed close, propelling himself with his explosions. Tsuyu had no trouble crossing the ropes thanks to her frog traits. As for Izuku and his friends, he and Hitoshi took one good look at the obstacle.

“Hey, it’s not that big a gap.”

“Not with our graffiti limbs, it isn’t.”

The pair turned to Denki and Kyoka and smirked.

“_Get on._”

Denki and Kyoka lost no time, Denki getting on Hitoshi’s back while Kyoka rode Izuku. The graffiti-limbed teens jumped between platforms effortlessly, not caring the slightest about the ropes, their friends holding tight on their back. Present Mic laughed helplessly.

“And it isn’t even cheating! There’s nothing in the rules saying you can’t lend a hand to your friends… mostly because the rules assume everybody’s out for themselves. So, when you got team players like those Class 1-A kids, the rules are caught with their pants down.”

“It is true that Hero business is a competitive field.” Aizawa sagely said. “But it is equally true that a lot of Heroes work in teams. Showing your skills and going for first are important, but so can be teamwork. And Class A and B have examples of both.”

Indeed, some students had decided to make temporary alliances and help each other. Itsuka used her giant hands to launch Neito and Ibara, who in turn used her vine hair to drag her classmate across the gap. Rinse, repeat. Tetsutetsu missed a step and slipped. Eijiro, who was at his side, reacted swiftly and caught him, pulling him on the platform. Tetsutetsu breathed and thanked him. Kojiro Bondo widened some ropes with his glue, knowing full-well that other contestants would use the paths he made. He didn’t care. Setsuna Tokage split herself and telekinetically moved herself from platform to platform.

It was the small things, these tiny displays of selflessness one would usually not see in such a competitive event. But they still happened. Because, at the end of the days, the Heroes in-training were friends.

As soon as they were on the other side, Izuku and Hitoshi shook their riders.

“Ride’s over. You’re on your own for the rest.”

“Heh, we’re not that helpless.”

Present Mic grinned as the group reached the final obstacle.

“And now, for the finale, the Minefield: a bomb-laden area that’s quite easy to cross… so long as you keep your eyes on the ground! Those mines don’t hurt, but they are loud and flashy enough that you may want a change of pants if you get caught!”

Shoto was forced to slow down. Sure, he could have iced the whole field and gone to the other side, but that would give the other contestants the opportunity to catch up. Not happening. He still considered it as Bakugo bypassed him. The pair gave each other a single look before grappling for first place.

Izuku and Hitoshi watched them from the edge.

“We pip them at the post?”

“Nah, let them squabble for first place. If they want the spotlight, they can have it. Third place isn’t bad at all.”

“And the mines?”

“Between our dancing and free-running skills, this is going to be a stroll.”

Hitoshi was right. The pair barely had to watch where they put their feet as they threaded between the mines. Free-running had taught them to be aware of their surroundings and honed their footwork. Dancing had taught them balance and rhythm. The two skills combined to made the teens very light and sure on their feet, enough to easily catch up to the pair. Izuku even went as far as to bust some dance moves, just for fun. Michiro laughed.

“Kids will be kids.”

Tensei looked at them.

“Are they ever serious?”

“When they have to. Trust me, those kids are skilled. And they will use every single drop when the situation calls for it. When they don’t need to, though? They far prefer to have fun. Hey, what do you want? They may be heroes in training but they’re still teenagers.”

Tensei sighed. Shoto crossed the finishing line first, followed by Bakugo. Izuku and Hitoshi made a point of crossing the finishing line at the same time, tying for third. Ibara Shiozaki was fourth behind, followed by Tenya and Kyoka in fifth and sixth position. Then came Juzo Honenuki, Fumikage Tokoyami, Hanta Sero, Denki and Tsuyu, Pony Tsunotori, Eijiro and Tetsutetsu… One by one, the students passed the line.

Shoto turned to Izuku.

“Got you.”

“Told you. But I’m not mad. Well done, Todoroki.” Izuku grinned. “And well done beating Kacchan. I would have been disappointed if he beat you.”

The words took Shoto by surprise. Still, he shrugged.

“Thank you, Midoriya. Whatever the next trial is, I still won’t go easy on you.”

“I don’t expect you to. Fair warning, I might not hold back either.”

Present Mic cheered.

“And, as expected, Todoroki ends first place and wins the race! That’s Endeavor’s son for you, ladies and gentlemen! But Katsuki Bakugo’s fierce determination still earned him a close second place, and our graffiti duo of Midoriya and Shinso walk together across the finishing line and into third place! Are these two joined at the hip or something? Whatever it is, you can tell those two are a package deal! You want one, you get the other whether you like it or not!”

Aizawa rolled his eyes. He still remembered Michiro’s words: Hitoshi had a one-sided crush on Izuku. He had to give it to the teen, he knew how to hide his feelings… but there was no denying the pair was close. Midnight stepped on the stage.

“The first forty-two contestants are allowed to move on! The others won’t have to worry about showing off, though. We got something else planned. But, for the next trial, you brave youngsters are going to compete in… the Cavalry Battle!”

As Midnight explained the rules, Izuku, Hitoshi, Kyoka and Denki quickly gathered. It was clear they were going to team up. Then the Heroine announced the points.

First place got a headband worth ten million points. Shoto was first. Izuku and Hitoshi looked at one another and breathed.

“_Dodged a bullet, here!_”

Shoto turned to them.

“Wait, you two held back on purpose?”

“Not exactly, but that’s one lucky coincidence!”

“I’m willing to take risk, but I’m not that careless, thanks.” Izuku winced. “Good luck, Todoroki-kun. You’re going to need it.”

And the worst part, Shoto inwardly grimaced, was that he was completely right.

* * *

...I just wrote the entirety of the Sports Festival arc in three days. What the Hell.

There are three more chapters coming after this one and I don't know whether I should post them all at once or wait in-between. There's laughter and tears and epicness coming, that's all I'm gonna tell.

And Izuku and Hitoshi tying for third place meant there was Indeed room for one more contestant : Mei Hatsume/Inasa Yoarashi since the last person ended in 42th position.


	11. Friends who kick ass together...

Naturally, Izuku, Hitoshi, Kyoka and Denki teamed up. They had been together since before U.A. Working as a team came naturally. They were handed a 750 Point headband.

“So, who gets which spot?”

“I’ll be the horse.” Izuku instantly offered. “_Apotheosis!_”

On this, he fully transformed. Hitoshi frowned.

“I will be the rider. Denki, Kyoka, watch our sides.”

“Got it.”

Hitoshi climbed on Izuku’s back and put the headband on. Denki took place on the left while Kyoka stepped on the right. Aizawa sighed.

“As expected, the Fearsome Foursome stick together. I would expect no less from them. Those kids are as thick as thieves… and just as tricky. Trust me on this. I’ve seen them.”

Jurota Shishida looked at Izuku’s transformed form and beamed. He called the teen and transformed as well, taking on his more bestial form before flashing him a thumb up. Izuku’s face lit up. He flashed both thumbs to the teenager and gave him a radiant smile. The two ended sharing a brofist. Shapeshifters for the win!

The gesture apparently earned Shishida some points because Hiryu Rin, Mashirao Ojiro and Rikido Sato joined him, the Chinese boy getting on his back while Ojiro watched the right and Sato watched the left. The team had 385 Points.

Meanwhile, Shoto was faced with a dilemma. On one hand, no one wanted to team up with someone who had such an obvious target on their back. On the other hand, there was no denying the bi-colored teen was _strong_. Firmly yet politely asking Tenya and Momo earned him a positive answer. Ochako joined on her own. She was good friend with Izuku and Tenya, but Izuku already had a full team so joining them was out of question. She went for the next best thing, not giving a damn said team would be the center of attention. She could handle it. Riding on Tenya’s back, Momo watching his right while Ochako watched his left, Shoto was handed the 10 000 425 Point headband.

Bakugo glared.

“You made your declaration of war to the wrong guy, Hot-and-Cold. I’m the one you should watch for. Now, who to pick…?”

Eijiro and Tetsutetsu had naturally decided to team up. They offered their help.

“Trust me, Bakubro. Tetsubro and I are like hammer and anvil. Tetsubro will shield you while I’ll kick the ass of anyone in our path.”

“You’re not going anywhere without me, Kirishima! Seriously, I thought we were friends…”

The trio turned to Mina. Bakugo grinned evilly.

“And Racoon Eyes to soften the resistance. Perfect.”

So, riding Tetsutetsu while Eijiro watched his right and Mina his left, Bakugo was handed the 605 Point headband.

Itsuka made a beeline for Neito.

“I know you. You will do something stupid the moment I got my back turned. I’m sticking with you to make sure you don’t get in over your head.”

Neito sighed.

“Yes, Mom.”

Now, who to pick next? She looked for her other friend Yui, but she had already made a team with Kojiro, Manga and Setsuna. The size-shifter was riding the golem-looking teen while Manga stood on her right and Setsuna on her left. A headband counting 175 Points was on her forehead. Itsuka sighed.

“So much for friendship…”

“Excuse, me, you’re looking for partners, sister?”

Itsuka perked as the Support student, Mei Hatsume, came to her side.

“You want to join us?”

“If you’re not too regarding about picking members from different classes. I need someone to show off my wonderful babies. This is a golden opportunity for me, and I’d be stupid to pass it!”

Itsuka remembered the girl’s jetpack.

“Why not? I got friends in Class 1-A, why not make some in the Support Department too? Who know, you may have plans for _babies_ that could keep Neito out of trouble…”

“Hey, I resent that remark!”

Tokoyami was next.

“If you aren’t regarding about getting help outside your class, may I offer my support as well?”

The three turned to the bird-headed teen. Dark Shadow emerged. Mei looked at it.

“What is it?”

“Tokoyami’s Quirk, Dark Shadow.” Neito frowned. “An entity of pure darkness that lives within him and is weakened by light. It is fully sentient and get stronger the darker it is. The sentience is the reason why I never tried to copy his Quirk. I’m not sure how I am going to handle having a shadow entity living with me, even if it’s for five minutes…”

Mei’s interest was quickly picked.

“Your copying Quirk lasts five minutes? And your partner gets stronger in the dark? I have a handful of timers on me. Let me check… yes, they go up to five minutes. Tell me when to start them to keep track of your Quirk. As for you….” She turned to Tokoyami. “Flashbangs are a thing but bombs that generate obscurity? Never heard of it before. There is room for invention! A grenade that darkens the room, blinding everyone with obscurity while strengthening those who rely on darkness! And I can make it explosive! A dark explosion! So many ideas for my babies…”

Fumikage edged toward Itsuka.

“She reminds me of Midoriya. He can fugue in his own head whenever he stumbles upon an interesting Quirk. I have witnessed it.”

“True. Those two would get along swimmingly.”

So, riding on Mei’s back, Neito took the 285 Point headband as Itsuka watched his right with her huge hands and Tokoyami and his partner watched his left. Neito glanced at Izuku and his team and grinned.

“I have an idea. Wait for me.”

He went to the team and held a hand to Hitoshi.

“Good luck to you. May the best team win.”

None of the Foursome was fooled.

“You’re out to copy my Quirk, right?” Hitoshi guessed.

Neito winced.

“I am that obvious?”

“Yes. Here.”

The purple-haired teen yanked a hair strand and handed it to him. Neito delicately picked it. Of course, permanent access to a person’s DNA made their Quirk much more readily available. Hitoshi glared.

“Good luck to you too, Monoma. And, by the way, if you try to use my Quirk on me or my teammates, your headband is next. Got it?”

Neito gulped and hurried back to his team. Mei grinned.

“My Quirk is Zoom, by the way. It lets my eyes do exactly that.”

Neito perked right up.

“Oh, _sweet_…”

The fifteen minutes quickly passed. Soon, everyone had a team. Juzo Honenuki had teamed up with Ibara Shiozaki, Yosetsu Awase and Reiko Yanagi. Shihai Kuroiro had found the courage to team up with his crush, Kinoko Komori, and had been joined by Sen Kaibara and Kosei Tsuburaba. Toru Hagakure and Koji Koda had entered an interclass alliance with Pony Tsunotori and Togaru Kamakiri. Even though Mezo Shoji had agreed to team up with Minoru Mineta, Tsuyu had stubbornly refused to ally with the pervert and joined forces with Inasa Yoarashi and Yuga Aoyama. Nirengeki Shoda had offered his help instead, joined by Hanta Sero.

Present Mic cheered at the sight.

“All eleven teams are lined up and ready to move! In this Cavalry Battle, who shall win and who shall fall? Will Team Todoroki manage to keep the lead with the ten-million-point headband, or will they be outwitted by sneakier challengers? The suspense is killing us all! This will be a battle to remember!”

Kyoka held a hand.

“I’ll be back. There’s something I want to ask Midnight and Present Mic.”

“Sure.”

Midnight was surprised to see the girl come.

“Jiro? The fifteen minutes are over. Do you have a question?”

“Yes.” Kyoka smirked. “I was wondering if there was the possibility to have music playing, because if that’s the case, I have two tracks in mind and I don’t know which to pick…”

Midnight frowned and called Present Mic who raised a brow.

“…The rules say nothing against music. So long as it doesn’t advantage a student at the expense of another. Hm, that’s not the case… and it may even make the battle more interesting!” _I love that girl. Dibs for the Internships!_ “Alright, ladies and gentlemen, we got development: one of the students helpfully suggested we have some music playing, and there’s nothing written against it! So, with no further ado… Uh, hard choice. Yakety Sax or [Train Rush](https://youtu.be/2jA9EQnz6mQ)?” He flipped a coin. It was head. “[Yakety Sax](https://youtu.be/X7wBphRIUSA) is it. Let’s rock!”

Before the battle started, Neito edged closer to Izuku and his team.

“So… your advices have always been sound so far. Any tip? We’ll return the favor.”

Izuku pointed at Shoto’s team and shook his head. Denki nodded.

“Yeah. Everyone’s gonna be after them. It’s way too much competition and whoever manages to steal the headband gets the target pointed on their back in turn. Not worth it.”

“Hm, true.”

Then Izuku pointed at Bakugo’s team and made huge _Nope-Nope-Abort_ gestures before pointing at the bully and passing a finger on his throat. Hitoshi winced.

“True that. Bakugo’s temper is as volatile as his explosions. You take his headband and you’ll end on top of his shit list. He’ll go straight for you. Best to avoid.”

“Uh oh. Warning heeded. No Todoroki, no Bakugo. In other words, none of the biggest fries, and we won’t go after you either as a thanks for warning us… yet. This leaves us five other teams to steal from for now.” A grin crossed his face. “Hey, Itsuka, what do you say we get back at Yui for ditching you?”

Itsuka’s grin was uncharacteristically feral.

“Works for me. Tokoyami?”

“On it. Get ready, Dark Shadow!”

“_I am, partner._”

The moment the battle started, everyone but Izuku and Neito’s teams made a beeline for Shoto. The bi-colored teen looked at his ride.

“Iida?”

“Yes?”

“Floor it.”

“Flooring it.”

Ochako didn’t hesitate. She made everyone but her gravity-less, had everyone get on Tenya’s back and let the muscular teen start his engines. The result was Tenya flying like a superhero, kept from floating haplessly thanks to Ochako’s weight while his engines propelled him. Tensei raised a brow.

“Alright, that’s new. And fairly clever, I admit.”

The trick allowed them to leave everyone in the dust. Juzo swore loud and high. Izuku and his friends were too busy laughing. While everyone else was cursing, Neito and his team snuck behind Yui, Kojiro, Manga and Setsuna and had Dark Shadow stealthily nab their headband. Out of sight, out of mind, they looked for their next target. Said target ended being Toru, Pony, Koji and Kamakiri. Gone went the headband. They went for Kuroiro, Komori, Kaibara and Tsuburaba next, only for the headband to be nabbed at the same time by Kyoka’s jacks. The girl looked at Dark Shadow, who was holding the other end. Neito and Hitoshi looked at one another…

The teens held a hand behind their back, counted to three and showed it. Neito had paper. Hitoshi had scissor. Dark Shadow let the headband go. Shoto saw the scene.

“What.”

Midnight grinned.

“It seems Team Fearsome Foursome and Team Monoma have entered an alliance of sort, or at the very least a truce. I wonder if it will last the whole battle…”

While Shishida, Rin, Sato and Ojiro relentlessly pursued Shoto and his team, Izuku and his friends managed to get Tsuyu’s headband while Dark Shadow got Juzo’s. The two teams turned to Shoji’s team.

“Now, how do we deal with Team Tank?”

They didn’t have to. Hanta made the mistake of snatching Bakugo’s headband and Bakugo summarily proceeded to show how wise Izuku’s advice had been, relentlessly chasing the team across the entire field.

“A temper as volatile as his explosions, huh? As Shiozaki would say, Amen to that.”

Tenya having run out of fuel, Shoto’s team had been forced to stop. Shoto had then summarily dealt with Jurota’s team by freezing them and taking their headband. The teen then created an ice wall to protect his team. Neito counted his points.

“I think we got enough. You’re going after Todoroki’s team, right?”

“Yeah. There’s only two minutes remaining. More than enough to catch that ten-million-point headband.”

“Alright…”

Then Dark Shadow snatched Tsuyu’s headband. Neito waved.

“So long!”

Izuku sighed and turned to the ice wall. His friends braced themselves.

“Ready when you are.”

The transformed teen ran. In a display of strength and agility, he effortlessly climbed the wall and stood on top. Shoto grit his teeth.

“As expected, I knew you would make your move sooner or later. That was clever of you to wait until the end.”

Izuku politely bowed. Then he jumped, Denki and Kyoka gripping his wings. Shoto threw an ice burst. Kyoka shattered it with her sound waves. Izuku’s claw lashed… and failed.

Momo breathed.

“Missed us.”

Then Kyoka’s jack lashed and nabbed the headband. Before Shoto’s teammates could react, Izuku was already atop the ice wall. Kyoka laughed.

“Spoken too soon, Yaomomo!”

Shoto sent an ice burst. Once more, Kyoka shattered it. Shoto sighed. It was too late to get any more points.

“Well, at least we still have one.”

Shishida’s headband hung helplessly on his neck. Meanwhile, Neito had taken pity of Bakugo, who was desperately chasing Shoji. He touched Hitoshi’s hair and whistled.

“Hey, Team Tank!”

“_What?_” All four answered.

It was their downfall. Neito activated Hitoshi’s Quirk.

“_Stop moving._”

The four stopped dead in their track. Bakugo’s team almost crashed into them. Neito gave them a friendly salute.

“You’re welcome.”

Grumbling, the blonde bully went and took his stolen headband along with Mineta’s. The buzzer finally rang. Everyone stopped as Midnight announced the result.

“Now, for the winners: in first place, having snatched the ten-million-point headband at the last moment: Team Fearsome Foursome with 10 001 460 Points!”

Everyone cheered. Aizawa grinned.

“Told you they were a tricky bunch.”

“Next, with 1435 Points and the greatest number of snatches, Team Monoma!”

The crowd cheered. Izuku’s friends got off his back and let the teen transform back. Congratulations were warmly traded.

“Behind them with 1 055 Points, Team Bakugo!”

People cheered them. Bakugo huffed.

“Not good enough. I’ll do better next time.”

“We all will.” Eijiro promised.

“And finally, with 385 Points, Team Todoroki! Theirs was a valiant effort, but the Fearsome Foursome’s skills won against their strength.”

Shoto closed his eyes, bitter. He went to Izuku.

“I made a mistake in the battle. A mistake that cost me dearly and that you made me regret. You bested me this round, Midoriya. But I can learn. Don’t expect me to underestimate you like this again.”

“That’s what the Sport Festival is for, Todoroki.” Izuku smiled gently. “You got me in the race, I got you in the battle, may the best man win next round!”

Never a mean word, only encouragement. Shoto so badly wanted to say Izuku was too kind for his own sake… but the teen had beaten him. Kind didn’t mean harmless. After so long training with his father, he had gotten used to harshness, to scorn and callousness. He wasn’t used to people being nice to him.

Realization hit him like a trunk. Mean people were simple to predict: they were out to hurt you. Nice people were harder to work around. They would play nice… right up to a certain point. If he was lucky, he could overpower them with his Quirk. If he wasn’t… he would find himself with an Izuku on his hands, someone whose kindness hid an absolutely monstrous strength that could match his. _Beware the nice ones_, was the Battle’s lesson. When they stop being nice, you will never see them coming.

Izuku turned to Tenya.

“Nice trick with your engines, Tenya! That was equally unexpected and awesome.”

“Thank you! Uraraka-kun and I have decided to work on it in our free time. There is room for experimentation, and achieving true flight can become a real asset.”

Mineta, Sero and Shoda glared at Hitoshi.

“There was a point in the Battle where our minds went blank. I recognize the symptom: that was your Brainwashing, Shinso! What did you do!?”

“I did nothing!” Hitoshi yelped. “I didn’t use my Quirk the whole battle! That wasn’t me there!”

“He’s right, guys.” Tetsutetsu reassured them. “Shinso may have a Brainwashing Quirk, but Monoma can copy powers, including his.”

The team turned to Neito, who stood like a deer in the headlights.

“Tetsu, you traitor!”

He tagged Inasa and ran away, Mineta, Hanta and Shoda hot on his heels. Kyoka could swear she heard him mutter a steady stream of _fuck_. Mei was rubbing her hands, a manic grin on her face.

“When the Festival is over, I am locking myself in my workshop and I’m not getting out until I got my new babies ready! Darkness grenades! DNA Holders! Stylish timers! Kendo, any gear you’d like me to make? My mind is boiling right now. If you have ideas, now’s the time!”

Itsuka considered.

Lunch came and was gladly welcomed. Being able to rest while filling your stomach was always pleasant after a morning of harsh struggle. Tips were traded, laughs and taunts echoed across the cafeteria, promises were made for rematches… Izuku basked in the atmosphere. It was warm and friendly, and it made him feel good. He had barely finished eating that Shoto called him to talk. He followed the teen in a quiet corner. Shoto crossed his arms. Izuku tilted his head. Shoto finally spoke.

“I don’t know how to act around you.”

“Why?”

Shoto frowned.

“Because you are always so nice, yet your Quirk is as powerful as mine, and I know what you can do when cornered. I witnessed it in the USJ. But there is one thing I don’t know: what will make you use your Quirk’s full power. I don’t know what I can do that will earn your enmity, so I feel like I’m walking on eggshells to avoid doing it.”

“Oh, it’s just that.” Izuku smiled. “Don’t worry, Todoroki-kun. The only way to make me mad is to hurt me or mine. Hurt me and I’ll defend myself. Hurt my people and I will hurt you as much as you hurt them. That’s it. You don’t have to worry about anything else.”

Shoto blinked. It was that simple? …Really?

“There’s truly nothing else?”

“Yep.”

Shoto hesitated.

“…I’m not used to people being nice to me. Everywhere I went, people treated me coldly or with indifference. Hostile people are easy to predict. It’s harder with people like you.”

“Uh? Why would anyone be mean to you? I mean, you’re pretty cold and distant yourself, but you’re strong and smart too. People should respect you for that at least. Why…”

Shoto closed his eyes and told him his origins. He told him of Quirk marriages, of his parents and siblings, of his father’s ambition and his mother’s shattered sanity. To the green-haired teen, he admitted his hatred for his father and his sorrow for his mother’s condition, his desire for revenge and his own ambition. And Izuku listened. When the tale was over, he hugged him tight.

“Your father is just like Kacchan.” He said softly. “He is a Hero, but his heart is that of a villain. He doesn’t deserve to be where he is.”

Shoto looked at him. Izuku smiled.

“I hope your mother is watching, Todoroki-kun. She is the person whose happiness you value above your own right? I hope you make her proud.”

Kind words, once again. Comfort and encouragement offered. Shoto accepted and took the kindness so freely given. He would repay it, he promised to himself. He didn’t know when or how, but he would return Izuku’s kindness.

Unbeknownst to both of them, Bakugo had heard everything.

* * *

I am bad at math. As in, really, really bad. Had to go over it and make so many annotations just to get it right in this chapter… To hell with it, I'm leaving it at the bottom. Just in case.

Shoto 1 - Bakugo 2 - Izuku/Hitoshi 3 - Ibara 4 - Tenya 5 - Kyoka 6 - Juzo 7 - Tokoyami 8 - Hanta 9 - Denki 10 - Tsuyu 11 - Pony 12 - Eijiro 13 - Tetsutetsu 14 - Ojiro 15 - Awase 16 - Rikido 17 - Mezo 18 - Ochako 19 - Momo 20 - Mineta 21 - Mina 22 - Koda 23 - Sen 24 - Tsuburaba 25 - Kojiro 26 - Inasa 27 - Reiko 28 - Itsuka 29 - Jurota 30 - Kuroiro 31 - Yui 32 - Rin 33 - Shoda 34 - Komori 35 - Kamakiri 36 - Neito 37 - Hagakure 38 - Setsuna 39 - Manga 40 - Mei 41 - Yuga 42

Izuku: 200 P + Hitoshi: 200 P + Kyoka: 185 P + Denki: 165 P = 750 P  
Jurota: 65 P + Rin: 50 P + Ojiro: 140 P + Rikido: 130 P = 385 P  
Shoto: 10 000 000 P + Tenya: 190 P + Momo: 115 P + Ochako: 120 P = 10 000 425 P  
Bakugo: 205 P + Eijiro: 150 P + Tetsutetsu: 145 P + Mina: 105 P = 605 P  
Yui: 55 P + Kojiro: 85 P + Manga: 15 P + Setsuna: 20 P = 175 P  
Itsuka: 70 P + Neito: 30 P + Mei: 10 P + Tokoyami: 175 P = 285 P  
Juzo: 180 P + Ibara: 195 P + Awase: 135 P + Reiko: 75 P = 585 P  
Kuroiro: 60 P + Komori: 40 P + Sen: 95 P + Tsuburaba: 90 P = 285 P  
Hagakure: 25 P + Koda: 100 P + Pony: 255 P + Kamakiri: 35 P = 145 P  
Tsuyu: 160 P + Inasa: 80 P + Yuga: 5 P = 245 P  
Mezo: 125 P + Mineta: 110 P + Shoda: 45 P + Hanta: 170 P = 450

Team Fearsome Foursome: 750 + 285 + 10 000 425 = 10 001 460 P  
Team Monoma: 285 + 175 + 145 + 585 + 245 = 1435 P  
Team Bakugo: 605 + 450 = 1055 P  
Team Todoroki: 385 P

...And that's it. *_insert steady stream of curses_* Between formating taking literal hours and making sure I didn't mess the math, proofreading that chapter was a chore ! But it's done. And it's one of the funniest scenes of the arc, between Tenya going around like a rocket with his team on his back, Team Bakugo chasing Team Tank around and Teams Monoma and Fearsome Foursome fighting over a headband by playing rock-paper-scissors, it was entertaining to write, and I hope it was equally entertaining to read ^^


	12. Amethyst and emerald

Lunch break was finally over. The final challenge was announced: a one-on-one tournament whose challengers would be decided by lots. Midnight drew them. The students watched eagerly, cheering or grimacing as the matchups were announced.

Mei Hatsume against Neito Monoma. Ochako Uraraka against Katsuki Bakugo. Kyoka Jiro against Itsuka Kendo. Denki Kaminari against Momo Yaoyorozu. Shoto Todoroki against Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu. Izuku Midoriya against Tenya Iida. Fumikage Tokoyami against Eijiro Kirishima. Mina Ashido against Hitoshi Shinso. The challengers looked at one another.

Neito and Mei immediately went in a corner and started talking in hushed voices. Itsuka eyed them warily.

“What are these two up to, already?”

Ochako winced. Bakugo was one of Class 1-A’s strongest, right up with Shoto and Izuku. If she wanted to win, she was going to have to play smart…

Tetsutetsu rolled his shoulders.

“Ice, uh? It will take more than a cold snap to get under my iron skin!”

Shoto hummed. He could use his fire. It was the logical thing to do. But, between his personal promise and the fact he could seriously injure his opponent, ice felt much safer.

Momo frowned. Against Denki, she would have to make herself insulated protection, but she had seen the blonde fight. He had actual hand-to-hand skills, and his battery prevented him from frying his brain. Whether she went on the offense or the defense, she would have to be cautious. One touch unprotected and she was done for.

Izuku noticed Tenya was watching someone in the bleachers.

“Someone you know?”

“Yes, it seems my elder brother made it.” Tenya smiled. “I hope you’re ready, Izuku-kun, because I am really going to go all out! Tensei is watching me. I want to make him proud.”

A Garage Wolf appeared at Izuku’s side.

“Don’t worry, Tenya. I will give you plenty of opportunities to show off your skills.”

Tenya looked at the Noise. His eyes widened in understanding.

In the bleachers, Mineta licked his lips.

“Jiro against Kendo! Cat fight incoming, guys!”

Hanta jumped to his side, followed by Yuga, Shoda and Tsuburaba.

Midnight took the stage and established the rules while Cementoss built the arena. As soon as it was ready, the Heroine announced the first fight.

“Mei Hatsume and Neito Monoma! Take the field!”

Present Mic cheered.

“Ladies and gentlemen, this is the first match of the final round! On my left, the Girl with the Gizmos, Support Department’s own Certified Mad Genius: **_Mei Hatsume!_**”

The crowd cheered.

“Against her and on my right, the Cautious Copycat who will turn your own Quirk against you: **_Neito Monoma!_** A neat guy.”

Aizawa groaned. Neito and Mei faced one another. The crowd tensed, wondering what kind of fight it would be…

It wasn’t a fight. Not really. Neito helped promote Mei’s inventions while occasionally trading kicks and punches, sometimes pointing weaknesses in her design he had picked with her copied Zoom. Then Mei walked out on her own, giving the fight. Itsuka glared at her classmate.

“Care to explain?”

“Hatsume and I made a deal.” Neito explained. “I help her promote her creations and, in turn, I get priority when making support gear. What? I really want those DNA Holders. And steampunk aesthetics go well with the Victorian theme I’m going for in my costume.”

Itsuka face-palmed.

Next fight was Ochako against Bakugo. Ochako frowned. She had a plan in mind. Hopefully, it would be enough to deal with her opponent. Hopefully. If it didn’t work, she was screwed. Present Mic announced them.

“And for our second match, on my left, the Girl with the Gravitation Quirk, the Weightless Warrioress, **_Ochako Uraraka!_**”

The crowd cheered.

“And on my right, the Hot-Headed Heat-Bringer, blowing his way to the top, **_Katsuki Bakugo!_**”

The two faced each other. Bakugo glared. Ochako grit her teeth.

‘_Work. Please, I beg you, make it work…_’

Had it been anyone else, it would have. Her plan to use the debris to make a meteor shower was impressive and Izuku praised her cleverness. But, in the end, Bakugo prevailed, turning the shower into dust with his explosions. Ochako collapsed from the strain of her own Quirk. The third match was called.

“For our third round of fights, on my right is a personal favorite and I am going to call dibs on her. Sorry everyone, but the Girl with the Ghetto Blasters, The Magic Sound Master, **_Kyoka Jiro_**… is going with me for the Internships. _Back off_.”

Aizawa outright elbowed his friend.

“You aren’t allowed to do that, Hizashi. The students alone get to decide who they will go with for the Internships and no one else, not even us.”

“Really? I heard you say you had your eyes on a particular student yourself, Shota. Not only that, it’s one of the Fearsome Foursome at that. You’re not gonna call dibs?”

“No. I will make my offer, but to go with me or not will be his decision.”

Present Mic sighed.

“On my left, her opponent, the Handy Woman with the Giant Palms of Doom, **_Itsuka Kendo!_** Get ready!”

The girls fought. Fiercely. Way too fiercely to qualify as a cat fight. Itsuka’s hands were giant swatters that nearly trapped Kyoka and left her with nasty bruises on her chest, arms and legs, but the girl gave as much as she took, her jacks moving like sound-blasting rope darts that nearly nailed Itsuka in the eyes and blasted sound waves she thought would disintegrate her bones.

The fight was as violent as it was loud. Itsuka managed to win by grabbing Kyoka’s lobes by the string and flipping her out of the arena, but she immediately stumbled, her ears ringing like crazy and her head spinning like a merry-go-round. She brought a hand to her ear and froze when she saw red drops. Midnight had her carted to Recovery Girl in emergency. Kyoka felt a pang of guilt when she understood what was going on.

“…My bad. I hope Recovery Girl can heal her.”

“She will.” Midnight reassured. “You girls both gave your best. It was impressive to watch.”

Kyoka silently accepted the compliment and followed to Recovery Girl’s office, waiting until the nurse was done to get her bruises healed. In a pinch, if Itsuka’s wounds were too serious, cream would do the job. Those were just bruises, after all. Present Mic announced the nest match.

“And now, the fourth match of this round! On my left, the Breakdancing Boy with a Shocking Sexy Style, _**Denki Kaminari!**_”

The crowd cheered. Denki made some dance moves.

“On my right, his opponent: the Stoically Serious Strategist of 1-A, whose creativity is only limited by her knowledge, **_Momo Yaoyorozu!_** Get ready!”

The moment the fight started, Momo created a staff of white material. Denki looked at it.

“Let me guess, plastic? You’re gonna try to keep me at a range, right?”

“It’s polyester but yes, that’s the idea.”

“Not a bad start. You should make more protection, just saying. Because I sure as hell ain’t gonna stay far! _Taser Armor!_”

Lightning covered him. Then he ran. Momo wielded her staff dexterously, and everyone watching could tell the girl had practiced bojutsu. But Denki had his own fighting style. He dodged the staff nimbly, breakdancing his way to Momo inch after inch, ducking, spinning and cartwheeling in a style that made him hard to predict. His opening came when he fell in a _coin drop_ and performed a _bellymill_ to kick the staff out of Momo’s hands. The weapon clattered away. Denki followed with a _no-hand kip-up_ and grabbed his opponent. Momo fell on her knees, electricity coursing through her body. She had no choice but to surrender.

“_**Shocking Sexy!**_” Present Mic hollered.

The crowd cheered along. Even Aizawa had to admit the blonde’s way of fighting was nice. If he could actually make it work, this would make him a force to be reckoned with. Present Mic called for the next fight.

“After this stylish display, the time has come for our fifth duel! On my right, he’s Cold and he’s Hot, he’s Yes and he’s No, he’s In and he’s Out, he’s Red and he’s White… _**Shoto Todoroki!**_”

Shoto huffed at the presentation and stepped on the arena.

“Against him and on my left, the New Colossus, the Teen of Steel of Class 1-B, _**Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu!**_ On your marks!”

Tetsutetsu glared at Shoto. The two braced themselves… Ice burst from Shoto’s hand the moment the signal was given. Tetsutetsu endured it. It wasn’t a stadium-spamming glacier, but it still took the metal teen’s half of the arena. Midnight narrowly avoided being caught. Tetsutetsu grit his teeth and burst out. Shoto frowned. If he needed to up the strength… Tetsutetsu made three steps before falling to his knees.

“Too… cold. Your ice… It’s too cold, Todoroki. I will hate myself for that, but…”

He forced himself to stand. One more step, just one more… He managed two before surrendering. The crowd slowly clapped, commending the teen’s resilience. Shoto himself nodded in acknowledgement, silently glad he didn’t have to use his fire. Present Mic cheered along.

“And for our next and sixth fight! On my right, from one of the most prestigious families of superheroes, the Turbo Teen with the Engines: **_Tenya Iida!_**”

The crowd cheered. Tensei was definitely the loudest. Tenya felt elation at the sight of his elder brother.

‘_Watch me, **nii-san**. I’m going to make you so proud!_’

“On my left, his opponent: from sound to color, he is U. A’s Mean, Green… what do you mean, he’s not mean? What, really? He’s a gold-hearted sweetie? Alright, correction: U. A’s Lean, Green Fighting Machine, **_Izuku Midoriya!_** Get ready!”

Izuku casually strolled on the arena. The two teens starred at each other…

“Start!”

Tenya’s engines came to life. Izuku summoned two Garage Wolves.

“I showed Partial Apotheosis during the race and Complete Apotheosis during the Cavalry Battle. Time to display Synesthesia!”

Tenya didn’t hesitate. The moment the Wolves got close, he dispatched them with strong kicks. Izuku grinned and summoned two Trash Minks and a Hard Corehog. Tenya was forced to dodge the Corehog’s projectiles while weaving through the Minks’ attacks, eventually landing a solid hit on their body. The Corehog was crushed by a stomp. Izuku grinned.

“Tough enough or you want something more challenging to show off?”

“Well, if you got something bigger…”

Izuku summoned a Jungle Boomer.

“Let’s see which kick packs the most punch!”

It ended being Tenya. The crowd whistled and cheered. Present Mic grinned.

“Yep, the Sports Festival is all about showing your style and Midoriya is fully aware of it! His Noises are more than fodder meant to wear down the opponent: they are also the opportunity for him to show off his monstrous partners and for young Iida to display the skills honed among his family! And boy, are they delivering!”

He was right. Tenya had just dispelled a House Rhino with a Recipro Burst and turned to Izuku. The teen smirked. The moment his opponent landed on him with a kick, he grabbed his leg and used the momentum to spin and throw Tenya out of the ring. Tenya went flying. So did his glasses. Izuku delicately caught them and handed them back to his friend who gladly took them.

“If I wanted to win against you, I should have used Recipro Burst right off the start and dragged you out.”

“It wouldn’t have worked. I would have just shifted into partial Apotheosis, dodged and used your momentum to kick you out.”

“Uh, that’s also a possibility. Well, good fight, Midoriya. Your Noises make good dummies.”

“Your kicks were pretty neat themselves, Tenya.”

Tenya was sent to Recovery Girl while Izuku joined Denki. Tensei left the bleachers to find his little brother. As soon as he was out, he hugged him tight.

“That was an impressive fight, Tenya. I am so very proud of you.”

Never had defeat tasted so much like victory.

Present Mic grinned and announced the next match.

“Time has come for our seventh round! On my right, the Girl in Neon Pink whose acid will melt your heart: _**Mina Ashido!**_”

Mina whooped and stepped on the arena. The crowd cheered.

“And on my left, her opponent: the Master of Minds, the Manipulative Manticore in Purple, _**Hitoshi Shinso!**_ Get ready!”

The two teens faced each other. Hitoshi grinned…

“Start!”

“Good luck, Ashido.”

“Good luck to you too, Shin – _Oh crap!_”

“Yep. Sorry, Ashido. _Walk out of the arena._”

Mina, eyes blank, did as she was told. It wasn’t even a fight. Hitoshi chuckled and left the arena dusting his hands.

“One down. How many more to go?”

Present Mic finally called the last match.

“And now, for our eighth and final duel! On my right, the Rocksteady Redhead, the Stone-Skinned Teen, **_Eijiro Kirishima!_**”

Eijiro grinned as the public cheered.

“On his left, his opponent: the Bleak Black Bird who says _nevermore_, the Shadow-Stalking Hunter, _**Fumikage Tokoyami!**_ Get ready!”

Eijiro and Tokoyami faced one another…

“Start!”

The fight was almost as nail-biting as Kyoka against Itsuka had been. Eijiro was an immovable object against Dark Shadow’s unstoppable assaults, fighting fiercely despite being outnumbered. But, in the end, Fumikage prevailed, his partner pushing the redhead out of bound. Eijiro shrugged.

“Well played. Catch you after the end for drinks. I’m gonna get Tetsubro.”

“As you wish. I hope there will be apple juice.”

“A special order? Can do, man.”

The two teens parted ways while Present Mic called for a break. The round’s winners took time to catch their breath while the losers joined the rest of their classmates. Hitoshi glared at Bakugo.

‘_I want to end him. I want to beat him to a pulp for all the pain he inflicted to Izuku. I want to morph my limbs to be metallic like a **weapon’s edge** and I want to stain them **red** with his **blood**, and I want to see his face **wrecked** as he begs for mercy, as I make him **pay**… Wait, what am I thinking!? Snap out!_’

He shook himself. He would fight Izuku before he could get to Bakugo… Bah, there would be other times – Stop thinking that! What was wrong with him? He left the room, not trusting himself to stay in the bully’s vicinity with his dark thoughts. Unfortunately, Bakugo had noticed his unease and followed him. Hitoshi glared.

“What do you want, _Kacchan?_”

The nickname took Bakugo by surprise. Usually, it was Izuku who called him that, and never in a nice way.

“You got a problem, Droopy Eyes? I saw you leave in a huff.”

“What do you even care? But yes, I have a problem. With you. I’m having dark thoughts and I left the room so I wouldn’t act on them. I’m going to fight Izuku before I fight you, anyway, and I doubt I’m going to win so my little fantasies are going to remain just that.”

Warning sirens started to blare in Bakugo’s head. Piecing two and two was easy: the purple-haired teen had daydreams about hurting him.

“What have I even done to you, anyway? We never fought or even crossed paths before.”

“No, but you crossed paths and fought _Izuku_.” Hitoshi walked to Bakugo, one arm morphing to graffiti. “I can’t explain why the thought of Izuku crying and in pain makes me see red. All I know is that I want to end whoever hurts him. _And you hurt him a lot, Kacchan_, so here is my warning: **never do it again**.”

Bakugo prepared an explosion, just in case. He could understand Hitoshi being protective of Izuku. The two had been together since Izuku had left Aldera for Corelia. Hitoshi waved a morphed finger and the dim light gleamed on its edge.

“Mark my words: if you hurt Izuku again, _I will make you scream_. One scream, for every tear he shed. And this is not a threat. This is a promise. You bullied Izuku in the past. If you try again… my fantasies involve your blood on my claws, Kacchan. Don’t give me a reason to make them real.”

Bakugo could only nod. Forget being protective, Hitoshi was outright in love with Izuku. That kind of promise wasn’t something you made for friends. It was the kind of promise you made for family, for loved ones. And even the explosive teen was savvy enough to know hurting someone’s romantic partner was the summum of stupidity. He turned away and left the room.

In a dark corner, Shoto had heard the whole conversation. He remembered his realization at the end of the Cavalry Battle and his talk with Izuku. Izuku’s limit was his friends being hurt. Hitoshi wasn’t as nice as the green-head, and in fact was more acid-tongued and prone to snark. He still had his limit, and it was hurting Izuku. And, if his fantasies were anything to come by, the mind-manipulator was outright _savage_. Shoto started making strategies. He was going to fight Midoriya next round. If Izuku ended in the infirmary, Hitoshi might get furious. Best to have a contingency to be safe…

Present Mic finally called the contestants. All appeared.

“And now, ladies and gentlemen, for our second row of hardly-fought fights: the quarter-finals! However, I got a little something special for you… Remember that sweet Jiro girl who lost so fiercely in the first round? She gracefully accepted to join and share her fine taste of music with us to add some spice to the fights!”

Kyoka chuckled and sat next to Present Mic, sharing a glance with Aizawa. The underground Hero gave a tiny nod. Present Mic grinned.

“So, my Little Listener, our next fight on the list promises to be equally brutal and heated: the Clever Copycat _Neito Monoma_ against the Explosive Expert _**Katsuki Bakugo**_. What music shall you suggest?”

“Well…” Kyoka grinned. “First, an explanation. My best friend Izuku relies on music to make his Noises, each of them born from a different style. Garage Wolves are made with Garage Rock, Trash Minks with Trash Metal, Jungle Boomers with Oldschool Jungle… Last headcount was a hundred and fifteen Noises with the Monkeys. And Izuku got more than one track for each genre, which means his complete playlist is obscenely massive. And he lets us use it. So, since I got free access, I decided to borrow some tracks. For Bakugo against Monoma, I think this track should be appropriate…”

[The strings started playing, dark and ominous](https://youtu.be/wM1YnZCgNyU). Present Mic shuddered.

“Oh, this doesn’t bode well! A somber tune for a somber duel! Challengers, _time to fight!_”

Neito glared. He had given the hair strand to Mei so she could work on the DNA Holder, so he had to ask Hitoshi for a new lock. The mind-manipulator had agreed. This was his first plan, use the blonde’s hot-heatedness to get him under the Quirk and make him walk out. Yet, as the fight started, Bakugo was dead silent. Neito winced, dodging the explosions the best he could.

“What, not even a good luck? Not a word? That’s not very nice of you, Bakugo.”

Bakugo didn’t answer. Neito dodged again.

“Come on, how long are you going to give me the cold shoulder? You’re usually more talkative than that, I’ve seen it in your fight against Uraraka!”

The explosion almost made him open his fist. Neito grunted.

“No _DIE_ on top of your lungs? What’s the matter with you? Cat caught your tongue or something? Damn it, at this rate, I’ll have to fall back to Plan B… I hope you’ll like the taste of your own Quirk if Plan A fails, Bakugo!”

Bakugo closed in on him. Neito dodged a new blast and landed a punch on his ribs, but the copycat wasn’t as athletic as the explosive teen. It didn’t faze him. But Monoma had touched Bakugo. Explosion was his. Katsuki hit his wrist, forcing him to open his hand. The moment Hitoshi’s hair flew, it was incinerated. But it was too late. Neito grabbed his opponent’s face.

“Warned you.”

The explosion knocked Bakugo back, leaving scorch marks all over his face. His glare was murderous. Neito prepared to fight for his life.

And fight for his life, he did. Explosions covered the entire field, Neito relying on every dirty trick in his book, from dust thrown to the eyes to aiming his explosions to the knees and elbows. Bakugo shrugged it all, adrenaline pumping through his veins. He fought silently and this, more than any of his explosions, made him outright terrifying. Neito winced as his wrists ached. It hurt. His whole body hurt. But he refused to give up. Not even when Bakugo grabbed him by the throat, not even when he shrugged point-blank explosions to his wrists. The explosive teenager kneed the copycat in the stomach.

“That was for my face, Quirk-Thief.”

Then he threw Neito out of bound. The blonde was out before he hit the ground. Itsuka silently swore bloody retribution upon the bully. Unfortunately, her match was next. Kyoka painfully closed her eyes.

“Well…” Present Mic winced. “That track couldn’t have been more fitting. It was harsh, it was dark, and it was desperate, just as young Monoma was as the fight neared its end.

Fortunately, our Recovery Girl should be able to heal him… Moving on to our next match as soon as Cementoss repaired the arena, this is our Shocking Stylish B-Boy **_Denki Kaminari_** against the Girl with the Giant Fists, _**Itsuka Kendo!**_ What track shall you play, young Jiro?”

“Isn’t it obvious, _Sensei?_”

[The familiar riffs started playing as the _na-na-na-nas_ echoed in the stadium](https://youtu.be/lhg9bYNLvOg).

“I admit, I may be a bit biased. Still, with an opponent like Denki, Kendo-san better be prepared to be _Thunderstruck!_”

Denki and Itsuka faced one another. The blonde immediately noticed his opponent was distracted.

“You’re worried about Neito-kun, right?”

“Yeah. Bakugo’s beatdown was absolutely brutal. I hope he ends up fine…”

“I could make it quick, if you want.”

Itsuka looked at him. Denki held a hand.

“I know how you feel. If it was Kyoka instead of Neito, I’d want to fry that bastard’s brain the moment I got my hands on him. So, for our fight, I can make it easy. Just shake my hand, I zap you with Taser Armor, drag you out of bound so you lose and you’re free to visit your friend and stay by his side until he recovers.”

Itsuka smiled. The offer was generous.

“Thank you, Kaminari-kun… but this isn’t how it works. The Sport Festival is where we show our skills. Win or lose, I gotta put a fight first.”

“Got it. I’ll go easy on you since it’s clear you’re not in the right state of mind.”

So, they fought. Beating to the rhythm of the music, Denki showed once again how he used breakdancing to fight while Itsuka put her worries in a corner and gave the crowd the show they wanted. As the song screamed “**Thunderstruck!**” Denki suddenly grabbed her and shocked her enough to neutralize the girl. Itsuka let him drag her out of bound. As soon as she was declared the loser, she bolted to the infirmary. Neito was in a bed, bandages covering his body. Recovery Girl let her hold his hand.

“Get better, Neito. Please, get better. I care for you…”

Tetsutetsu watched from the entrance, his face grim. He and Itsuka shared a look before he left and Recovery Girl, sympathizing with her pain, gave her a chair. The steel-skinned boy joined his bro in the bleachers.

“What Bakugo did was totally unmanly. Itsuka’s worried sick about Neito. And I’m too…”

“Yeah, Bakubro wasn’t being a man in this fight. He was being a bully. I hate bullies.”

“Why are you friends with him, then?”

“Because… Well, you’ve seen Izuku, right?”

“Sure thing. He’s got a heart of gold. If it wasn’t for his Quirk, I’d say he’s too nice for his own good.”

“Yeah, right until he loses control and the ass-kicking starts. Bakubro’s heart is the opposite of Izuku’s. It’s dark and mean as an old boot, but there are times he’s the manliest dude. Izuku, on the contrary, is a compete _daifuku_ who’ll ruin your day if you piss him off. I’ve seen it. Really. I have heard him shout.”

Tetsutetsu gave him a weird look. Izuku? Shouting? He had never seen the monster-summoning teen be anything but kind. Seeing him angry was something the steel-skinned student simply couldn’t picture. The time came for the third match and Present Mic’s voice rang once more.

“Our third duel is the Master Manipulator _**Hitoshi Shinso**_ against our Regal Raven _**Fumikage Tokoyami!**_ So, what sweet music shall move this fight, young Jiro?”

Kyoka grinned and picked a new track.

“I have honestly no idea who’ll win. One good knock is enough to break Hitoshi’s brainwashing and Tokoyami isn’t fighting alone… Nevertheless, this particular track is called _[Killing Two Birds](https://youtu.be/Dz5rcokJcj8)_. And it is indeed two feathered fiends our mind-manipulator will be fighting!”

Present Mic beamed with pride.

‘_She’s taking to the job like a fish to the water._’

Hitoshi looked at Tokoyami.

“No hard feeling, huh?”

“None.”

Immediately, the purple-haired teen activated his Quirk.

“_Walk out of…_”

He hadn’t finished his sentence that Dark Shadow emerged and pinched his partner. Fumikage shook himself.

“As expected. Your manipulative trickeries shan’t work against us, Shinso.”

“Guessed as much. Bah, it was worth a try. Hey, Dark Shadow, nice tune, right?”

“_I didn’t expect a rav-Ack!_”

The entity fell to Brainwashing. Fumikage flicked it, breaking the spell, only to narrowly dodge a kick in the stomach.

“Guessed it wouldn’t work either. Good thing I’m more physically inclined than your average mind-Quirk user!”

Dark Shadow lashed. Hitoshi dodged with a gymnast’s grace, evading every clawing and pecking attempt as he edged closer and closer to his opponent. Fumikage came from behind. Hitoshi grabbed his wrist and judo-flipped him in his partner.

“Tokoyami, you aren’t a close-range fighter. You let Dark Shadow do all the job. Trying that was a stupid move.”

“Worth a try. I see surprise won’t work on you.”

“Free-running taught me surroundings awareness. Catching me by surprise is _hard_.”

Dark Shadow lunged and took a foot in the face. Hitoshi badly wished he had some flashbangs or a flashlight at the moment. But he didn’t, so all he could do was rely on his physical skills. No easy Brainwashing, this time! He ran, jumped, landed on Dark Shadow and ran over the creature before jumping again and delivering a kick Fumikage blocked with a wince.

“Felt this one, uh?”

“You don’t say! My arm…”

“_And you ran all over me at that! Peck neck!_”

Hitoshi’s eyes widened. No, they didn’t…

Brainwashing multiple people at once was always difficult, but it wasn’t impossible. He just needed the opportunity. And, if his hunch was right, one had just landed in his lap.

“_Both of you, stop fighting!_”

Tokoyami and Dark Shadow stood still. Hitoshi couldn’t believe his luck.

“…Did it! _You are now going to walk out of the arena. At once._”

The pair walked out of bound, losing the fight. Hitoshi starred for a solid minute before collapsing in hysterical laughter. Present Mic’s jaw was on the ground.

“Holy shmuck, what a fight! How often do you see someone with a mind-based Quirk show that kind of physical fitness!? Brains and brawns, that kid got them both!”

Tokoyami sighed.

“This shows that luck can be all that stands between victory and defeat. Well played, Shinso-kun.”

As soon as Kyoka was done whooping for her friend, Present Mic went back to commenting.

“And now, the fight you are all waiting for, the final match of the quarter-finals! The Blazing Glacier, _**Shoto Todoroki**_ against the Spring-Haired Teen, **_Izuku Midoriya!_** What sick beats shall rhythm their fight, young Jiro?”

“Well…” Kyoka grinned. “Let’s give them a taste of _[Battling Against a True Hero!](https://youtu.be/bPCMJC1Ig6s)_”

Shoto and Izuku face one another. Shoto mentally grimaced at a memory. Before stepping in the arena, he had politely asked Hitoshi not to kill him if he hurt Izuku, to which the mind-manipulator had told him injuries always happened in fights and he fully expected both of them to get hurt. He would only murder the teen if the hurt was done out of malice. This had slightly reassured Shoto.

The moment the beat kicked in earnest, he released a massive ice burst, much bigger than what he’d used against Tetsutetsu. Present Mic’s voice fell with his glasses when he saw the absolute stadium-spamming glacier covering the battlefield. Midnight herself shuddered, her body partially encased in ice.

“T-That was a cold move, Todoroki.”

“Sorry, Sensei. Looks like I win.”

No sooner had he said these words that Izuku burst from the ice. From Shoto to the crowd, everyone gasped as the teen landed in his fully Apotheosed form. Static formed at his feet.

_Nice try._

“Maybe, but not good enough if it couldn’t stop you. If this couldn’t finish it, consider it only the _start_, Midoriya.”

He sent another ice wave. Izuku retaliated with a green energy wave that shattered it. A new ice wave was destroyed by a sphere of green energy. Izuku flew high, then stomped on the glacier, the shockwave breaking it apart. Cementoss used his Quirk to clear out the ice. Shoto growled.

“As expected, your transformed state is impressively strong.”

Izuku charged. Shoto dodged and sent a wave that froze his feet. Izuku gave him a look that screamed “Seriously?” before casually breaking out and wiping his feet. Shoto growled. Subtlety wouldn’t work either. He sent a new glacier. Izuku splintered it with a shockwave double-kick. The two glared.

Izuku shifted to partial Apotheosis.

“Still not willing to use your fire, Todoroki-kun?”

“No, and you know why. I swore I would win the Sports Festival with Mom’s ice alone. Even if it’s going to cost me victory, I refuse to use my asshole of a father’s fire.”

Izuku hummed.

“…I thought about what you told me, about your past. There’s something I noted, how you always referred to your fire and ice as your father’s and your mother’s respectively.”

“And?”

“And.” Izuku patiently said. “I think you’re wrong. _No power is good or evil. This is what we do with them that makes them so_. It was Michiro-sensei’s first lesson, and it is pretty much your mindset regarding your own Quirk. You may not see your Quirk as good or evil, but you see your parents as such. And you see your Quirk as your parents’ more than your own.”

Shoto froze. He could see his logic. Izuku smiled gently.

“I agree that Endeavor hurt you and your mother. That part will always be true, and you have every reason to hate him. But, Shoto, your fire isn’t his. And your ice isn’t your mother’s. _It is your Quirk and yours alone_. You decide what you do with it. Take in your father’s lessons as base guideline, if you feel it’s worth it. But, at the end of the day, it is your hand that ignites the flames. Your hand that shapes the ice. Their design comes from your own mind. You alone decide the shape they take. And this is why it is your power. Not theirs.”

Shoto starred at him. Slowly, he raised a hand and created a low ice wall. Izuku smiled and hummed along the melody. His transformed hand touched the wall, static flowing on the surface.

“The melody may give me a baseline, but I am the one who mixes the colors.”

The static finally settled, the colors mingling to depict a fiery tiger roaring at an ice dragon while a small water phoenix soared far above them. The message was clear. Shoto looked at his hand.

“…It is my hand that shapes the ice.”

He turned to Izuku and coated his arm with ice.

“It is my hand that ignites the fire.”

Izuku grinned, static flowing once more over his body.

“And it is my mind… **that designs the pattern!**”

Fire and ice mixed in a devastating maelstrom that engulfed the green-haired teen. There was a deafening explosion…

Izuku emerged from the inferno, fully transformed body damaged in several places. Some fingers and toes were missing, as was the upper part of an ear and a good third of his left wing. But it was on his body that the injuries were the most impressive. Gaping lacerations on his chest and torso bled static, discordant echoes humming in the air. Izuku was obviously in pain, but it didn’t stop him. He scooped Shoto before the bi-colored teen could react and landed at the edge of the arena. Then he dropped him. Midnight declared him winner by ring out. Izuku relaxed and released the transformation.

“Damn, that hurt! I felt this one, Shoto-kun, even in Apotheosis!”

Shoto stood up.

“You were bleeding static. What was that?”

“Apparently, when my Apotheosed form is damaged, it feels like notes of the melody go missing. After a certain amount, there simply isn’t enough notes to maintain the melody, so I’m forced to shift back to normal. Glad I figured this out in a safe environment like the Sports Festival instead of during a street fight. And the wounds may go away but the pain definitely remains! Oww…”

Indeed, the green-haired teen looked in even more pain than Shoto despite having no injuries whatsoever. Shoto helped him walk to Recovery Girl who confirmed the diagnosis.

“Not a single wound to heal here, only phantom pain. I will let you take some painkillers, young man. You need it. As for you…” She turned to Shoto. “You seem to be suffering minor burns and frostbites. Here, let me give you a kiss.”

Shoto let her. Izuku gladly swallowed the painkiller and waited.

“Next matches are Denki against Bakugo and me against Hitoshi. To borrow Denki’s words, those fights are gonna be lit.”

* * *

And here is the next chapter. One more and the Sports Festival arc is over. Now, trivia time...

Coin drop: made from Toprock (footwork from a standing position used as warm up) into either a Backspin (spinning on the upper back) or a windmill (a circular torso roll while the legs twirl in a V shape).  
Bellymill: pivoting from the back to the chest and absomen instead of the head and the hands.  
No-hand kip-up: a handless rising handspring that requires a lot of strength in the shoulders and cervical spine.

Denki has been repeatedly described as the best dancer of the Fearsome Foursome. Now, you get to actually see it. And you get to see what happens when Izuku's Apotheosed form is damaged, instead of reading it from the comments.

Also, Present Mic's going totally wild with the comments. And Kyoka's playing DJ again.


	13. The measure of rivalry

Present Mic gave the four winners fifteen minutes to rest before announcing the semi-finals.

“Ladies and gentlemen, after these fierce and heated fights, the time has come to get serious! Our first fight on the list shall oppose the Explosive Expert _**Katsuki Bakugo**_ against our Shocking Sexy B-Boy _**Denki Kaminari**_! Young Jiro, what sweet music shall we play, this time?”

After considering, Kyoka picked one.

“I know Bakugo. For all his nasty temper, he is a fierce and dangerous fighter. Denki will need a _[Heart ](https://youtu.be/XYKUeZQbMF0)_[full ](https://youtu.be/XYKUeZQbMF0)_[of Courage](https://youtu.be/XYKUeZQbMF0)_ to prevail.”

Denki and Bakugo faced one another.

“Your takedowns of Uraraka and Monoma were brutal.” Denki frowned. “I know you’re violent, but don’t you know to hold back once in a while?”

“This is a fight to the top, Blondie. Fuck the spineless crap Deku said at the start. We’re here to _win_ and I’m gonna be the one on top. You can’t go there if you hold back.”

Denki’s glare was harsh.

“Then I won’t hold back either, _Kacchan_. You sowed the wind. Now, you reap the _storm!_”

His body sizzled with electricity, and Bakugo could tell it wasn’t his low-voltage Taser Armor. It was an out-and-out Thunder Aura. Denki lunged. Bakugo jumped back, narrowly avoiding the blonde. He still felt the hair stand on his arm. Denki put a hand on the ground and suddenly shifted to a handstand to perform a _sideway hand glide_. His foot collided with Bakugo’s side, sending a jolt through the teen’s body. Bakugo grit his teeth and sent an explosive burst at the teen’s stomach, but Denki had predicted it. He dropped down, rolled and spun as he rose to face his opponent. The pair glared at each other.

No hold barred.

Denki ran again. Bakugo sent explosions after explosions. The electric blonde was a close-range fighter while he worked better at a distance, but Denki was agile. Even Bakugo could take a moment to appreciate the way he moved, sure-footed and nimble, dodging his explosions with grace and a minimal amount of damage as he closed in. He went for large area-of-effects bursts instead. Denki grunted. The attacks were hard to evade…

“…You know what? No guts, no glory. Let’s end this.”

He ran. Bakugo sent explosions after explosions to his face, slowly backing away as Denki shrugged them off, uncaring that his gym uniform was getting more and more damaged, that his body was getting covered with more and more burns. He would recover. And, worst came to pass, Recovery Girl’s Quirk could heal it. He made a beeline for the explosive bully, intent on grabbing him and shocking his brain. Forget agility and grace. His final attack was straight and to the point.

Bakugo dodged at the last moment, tripped Denki and, before the blonde could recover with a roll, sent his biggest explosion in his back. Denki screamed in pain and, despite the explosion, the whole stadium heard him.

In the commentator’s booth, Kyoka jumped in horror.

“_**DENKI!**_ Bakugo, you bastard…”

Hitoshi and Izuku gripped the bleachers’ fence.

“_**NO!**_”

Bakugo panted.

“You lose, Blondie.”

“_Not… yet!_”

Using the last of his strength, Denki grabbed his battery and slammed it on the bully’s arm to discharge it. This time, it was Bakugo who screamed. He fell on his knees, and the only reason he didn’t lose was because he managed to remain conscious as Denki passed out. Midnight called for a stretched while the explosive blonde painfully managed to rise and follow it.

In the commentator’s booth, Kyoka watched the scene, hands on her mouth, her eyes watery. Present Mic took pity of her.

“Give me the last tracks and go find him.”

Kyoka hastily scribbled them and hurried out, using her jacks to swing down in the stadium. She caught the two blondes shortly after the stretcher arrived and Denki was loaded on it. Midnight watched the trio, tense.

Kyoka delicately held Denki’s hand before turning to Bakugo.

“How dare you…!”

Bakugo grunted.

“Pipe down, Weird Ears! Your boyfriend gave as much as he took!”

“Then why aren’t you on a stretcher too, you son of a bitch!?”

Bakugo didn’t answer. Kyoka walked straight to him and punched him in the face.

“You will never be a Hero! You are way too brutish and barbaric to be one!”

The only reason Midnight didn’t use her Quirk here and there was because Kyoka walked away, straight into Izuku and Hitoshi’s arms. The two boys held her as she cried in their chest. The two boys gave each other a quick nod.

They were next to fight. Whoever won would face Bakugo. They silently agreed to give him a taste of his medicine and make it _hurt_.

Bakugo watched them and sighed, remembering his earlier conversation with Hitoshi and subsequent realization.

“Figures Blondie would be Weird Ears’ romantic partner. Just my luck…”

He had no illusion regarding the finals. Deku or Droopy Eyes, whichever he fought would give him absolute hell. He followed the stretcher to the infirmary where Recovery Girl gave him the stink-eye before kissing away his injuries.

“They have a point, young boy. You should know when to hold back.”

On this, she turned to Denki. Neito had woken up during the fight and had watched it with Itsuka. The pair was holding hand and glaring at him. Bakugo sighed.

“So, turns out Droopy Eyes isn’t the only one with a crush. Weird Ears got one too. Whoever I get next, this is gonna hurt…”

“I do hope so.” Itsuka said quietly.

It wasn’t hard for her to figure Droopy Eyes was Hitoshi. The teen suffered from chronic insomnia and had permanent bags under his eyes. As for Weird Ears, animalistic traits not counting, Kyoka had extending jacks for lobes. If that wasn’t weird…

Kyoka left her friends and returned to the commentator’s booth. She wiped her eyes, choked a sob and shook her head. Aizawa put two fingers on her belly.

“Here, breathe with your stomach. In, and out. Inhale. Exhale. Like this.”

Kyoka tried to sync her breathing on his. It took her a few tries before she could do it, but she eventually managed.

“Thanks, Sensei. I feel better.”

“Good.”

Aizawa’s smile was small, yet surprisingly gentle. It was rare to see him like that. Kyoka engraved the picture in her mind, wishing she could share it with her friends. Present

Mic spoke softly.

“Ready to go back to it, Little Listener?”

“Yes… Let’s do this.”

Present Mic nodded.

“After another brutal struggle, we are now at the second match of the semi-finals! This time, it will be two dear friends squaring off: the Master of Minds, _**Hitoshi Shinso**_ against our Green Fighting Machine, _**Izuku Midoriya**_! What music shall rhythm this fight, young Jiro?”

Jiro chuckled.

“Actually, this one is a personal request. I’ve seen where it comes from, and I admit the context fits as well as the tune. So, without further ado… Let’s rock.”

[The strings started softly, whistling ringing across the stadium](https://youtu.be/7TQ9r_9l1i0). Izuku and Hitoshi faced one another.

“I’m not going to try using my Quirk on you.” Hitoshi smiled. “You’ve known me since elementary school. You know my Quirk in and out. It wouldn’t work against you, so I am going to fight you without it.”

Izuku returned the smile.

“Then, for the sake of fairness, I won’t use my Quirk against you either. We both know how powerful Graffiti Heart can be. You were my first real friend. If you’re not going to use your Quirk, neither am I.”

The pair looked at one another.

“No Quirk. Pure skill.”

“No Quirk. Pure skill.”

The electric guitar kicked in and the two teens lunged. Fist met fist. Kick met kick. Punch was blocked by open hand as the two teens spun and twirled around each other, the music thrumming frantically in the air. They matched each other blow for blow, every punch blocked, every kick dodged, neither landing a single decisive hit as they almost literally danced around the other. Drop, spin, kick, jump, punch, strike, blocked, dodged, countered, evaded with dancer’s grace. It was a beautiful display of skills that made painfully clear both teens were evenly matched. Izuku and Hitoshi knew each other’s fighting style in and out. They fought with matching strength.

The music kept thrumming, whistling and electric strings ringing across the stadium as the duel became less of a fight and more of a dance. Blows stopped being blocked. Moves were dodged more and more until not a single hit reached its target. The teens were slowly losing themselves in the rhythm until they found themselves in perfect synchronization, moving as one. From Heroes to students to civilians, all found themselves mesmerized by the sight.

Present Mic starred at the scene.

“Breathtaking…”

But the two teens’ stamina wasn’t unlimited. Izuku and Hitoshi jumped away, panting. The pair grinned and the crowd knew the finishing move was coming…

Hitoshi chuckled and walked out of the arena, leaving everyone gasping. Izuku gave him a surprised look.

“You’re giving up?”

“I don’t mind ending third place so long as you’re the one on top. Good luck, Izukun. Give that bastard hell.”

Izuku smiled.

“I will.”

Present Mic hollered.

“_**And Midoriya moves to the finals!**_”

Izuku closed his eyes and went to get something to snack on. His fight with Hitoshi had exhausted him. Tensei whistled.

“Your friend is skilled, Tenya!”

“I can honestly say this is the first time I’m seeing him fight like that. That was impressive.”

“That’s an understatement…”

Toshinori was grinning like a maniac.

‘_My boy, One for All or not, you are going to be ten times the Hero I ever was. I feel so proud of you!_'

Inko and the Jiros were jumping in their seat while Michiro was beaming as his daughter hooted.

“When I’m older, I will be a Hero just like them!”

“They aren’t Heroes yet, Baby Bird. But they will. There’s no way they won’t become Heroes.”

At last, the time came for the finals. As Bakugo and Izuku climbed on the arena, Present Mic announced the fight.

“And now, the battle you have all been waiting for: _the Finals of the Sport Festival!_ Opposing each other, we have the Explosive Expert, the Brutal Berserker! Mercy isn’t part of his vocabulary, so expect him to fight to the harsh and bitter end! Ladies and gentlemen, _**Katsuki Bakugo****!**_”

The crowd cheered and booed in equal measure. Bakugo barely listened.

“Facing him is the Lean, Green Fighting Machine, the Master of Monsters! Don’t let his sweet smile and kind words fool you, this lil’ bunny got a kick to himself! Ladies and gentlemen, _**Izuku Midoriya!**_”

The crowd’s cheering was more unanimous. It was clear who the people favored. Bakugo frowned. He knew Izuku could be angry and he had seen him fight, but he had never seen him fight _angry_.

This was going to be an experience. A painful one. Present Mic turned to Kyoka.

“Once more, I will let young Jiro choose the beat that will rhythm this fight. Knowing her taste, this is gonna be good! So, Little Listener, what will it be this time?”

Kyoka’s glare was harsh.

“What else but a _[Duel of the Fates?](https://youtu.be/ZTg6hg1miFg)_”

As the choir began to chant, Bakugo took the time to give Izuku a once-over. Several things became obvious.

One, Izuku’s fists were clenched tightly. Two, his eyes were fixed on him and not blinking. Three, his face was pale, and Bakugo knew this meant the blood had gone from the face to the muscles, priming them to fight. Four, his body was rigid, as taut as a spring. Five, his mouth was in a thin line. Not a single trace of a smile anywhere.

Deku wasn’t smiling. First fuck.

“So, it looks like it’s you and I again, Deku. Just like old times.”

“I remember those times.” Izuku said quietly. “They weren’t happy.”

His voice was way too quiet, barely above a whisper in intensity but it didn’t matter. Well, yes, it mattered. Izuku wasn’t shouting on top of his lungs. He was saving strength, carefully accumulating energy in anticipation of the fight. His eyes slightly narrowed.

“It was a good time for you. You were the king of the school. People looked up to you and admired you for your powerful and amazing Quirk… It got to your head. You became arrogant, thinking the world owed you a living. You started looking down on me and everyone else, and when I manifested my Quirk, you called it villainous and lame. You said I would never become a Hero with it.”

There was anger and anger. A lot of people, when angered, exploded in a rage like he did. Others, they didn’t explode. Their anger wasn’t a bomb but a knife, sharp and just as deadly. This was the form Izuku’s anger had taken at the moment, cold and precise.

Second fuck.

“People may say your Quirk is better, Kacchan. They may say, rightfully, that your Quirk is perfect for heroics… but you, yourself, aren’t. Because you hurt people. That’s all you know to do. You boast and belittle and burst through life, uncaring who you hurt in your way as you strive to fulfil your ambitions. This isn’t what being a Hero is about. And this is why you will never be one.”

“…You talk too much. Let’s get this fight started already.”

The corner of Izuku’s mouth quirked upward.

“_Gladly._”

Bakugo braced himself. Izuku crouched ever so slightly, ready to pounce.

“So, what will it be, this time? Graffiti monsters? Partial Apotheosis? Full-on Apotheosis? What trick of your Quirk are you gonna use?”

“None. I won’t give you that dignity.”

Bakugo’s eyes widened.

**Fuck³**

Midnight and Aizawa almost stopped the fight here and there. Almost. Maybe they should have.

Izuku ran. Bakugo released his most brutal barrage. The green-haired teen evaded the assault effortlessly and closed in on his opponent. Bakugo tried to punch him…

“Predictable.”

Izuku lashed, grabbing his wrist and _twisting_. Bakugo screamed in pain. Izuku’s knee then collided with his crotch and the blonde collapsed on the ground. He raised a second hand, explosion ready. Izuku twisted it too, leaving him powerless. Then he put a knee on Bakugo’s chest and punched his face repeatedly.

“You call yourself a Hero but all you do is hurting people! You don’t care about anyone, only yourself! You are a self-centered son-of-a-bitch who has nothing to do in a place like U.A, **nothing**! To you, people are pebbles and extras, faceless folks you don’t pay attention to unless they stand in your path, then you crush them like flies! How many suffered because of your ambition!? How many did you scorn in your pride!? You don’t deserve to become a Hero, Kacchan! Ever! The people you hurt have people who care for them. By hurting them, you are hurting their loved ones as well! Can you begin to comprehend it? Or are you too trapped in your selfish little world to understand!? Neito…” _**punch**_ “Itsuka!” _**punch**_ “Mei!” _**punch**_ “Denki!” _**punch**_ “Kyoka!” _**punch**_ “Hitoshi!” _**punch**_ “Me!” _**punch**_ “You hurt all of us! For this, you will pay! Forget victory, _this is about **pure vengeance!**_”

He punched, again and again and again, on his face, on his chest, each blow falling like a hammer that left bloody bruises behind. So great was the pain that Bakugo could barely feel the wet drops on his face.

By all account, Midnight, Cementoss, Aizawa and Present Mic should have stopped the fight. They didn’t. They were too shocked to react.

Izuku, the sweet, playful troublemaker who danced his problems away, who always had a kind word and a warm hug for those who needed, always gave advices to those who asked – and even those who didn’t – was busy delivering an equally one-sided and brutal beating to one of his classmates, bringing to the field an amount of violence no one would have ever guessed he had in him. And yet, he did. Boy, did he ever. He had come in the fight expecting no mercy, and so he showed none. All he showed was violence. Gone was his kindness. Gone was his smile. Gone was his warmth. There was nothing left but cold, unbridled fury as he pummeled Bakugo into a bloody mess.

The rest of the crowd was no better than the teachers. They had seen him during the competition. They had witnessed him summon dragons to protect the students from the Executor-bots, carry his friends on his back and dance across the minefield. They had seen him advise an opposing team during the Cavalry Battle, only using his Quirk to take a ridable form while his friends took away the headbands. They had seen him use his monsters as dummies against Iida so the other teen could show off his skills, then pause in his fight against Todoroki to comfort him and help him come to term with his issues. They had seen him refuse to use his Quirk against his best friend out of fairness, then engage in a dance battle fought to a standstill. They had heard his speech at the start, how rivalry didn’t interest him and he much preferred to have friends.

Where was all of this, now? Gone. Bakugo had hurt his friends. Only vengeance remained.

Tetsutetsu starred in utter disbelief, barely managing to tear his eyes from the beating to turn to Eijiro.

“Pinch me, this is a nightmare.”

Eijiro couldn’t believe it either.

“Izuku, dude… What the fuck!?”

Mina had both hands on her mouth and looked sick. Ibara closed her eyes.

“_Do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil._ Romans 13: 3-4.”

“Amen to that, _ma chère_.” Yuga shuddered.

Tenya needed a full minute to find his voice.

“This… This isn’t right. _This isn’t right._ Izuku-kun… what? What are you doing!?”

Tensei grimaced.

“Never _ever_ mistake kindness for weakness. Ever. Everyone has their limits and it looks like your friend was pushed way past his.”

Michiro shook his head.

“Proof that everyone is the same at the core. We all have our likes and dislikes, and even someone as sweet and kind as Kiddo will snap if you press his sore spots.”

“I didn’t… think…” Tenya had trouble finding his words. “I heard him shout once, after the USJ. I heard him yell at Bakugo about his bullying during their time at Aldera. But this… No. Just… no. This isn’t him.”

“It is. Bakugo hurt him and his friends, a lot and repeatedly. Your brother has a point: Bakugo’s behavior pushed Izuku way past his limits. Now, Kiddo is showing us that his strength isn’t for show. If he has to, he can be as brutal and vicious as any villain, except he will bring out the pain for the right reasons.”

Tenya still had trouble believing it. The scene felt surreal. Ochako was gripping Tsuyu’s arm. Yosetsu was holding the two girls protectively, Pony quaking in his back. Denki was mercifully unconscious, but Neito and Itsuka saw the entire fight, Itsuka holding her friend protectively as Neito made a mental note of never getting on the green-haired teen’s bad side.

Hitoshi looked away.

“You were warned, Kacchan.”

Midnight finally got over her shock and stepped on the arena. She hugged Izuku, leaving her Quirk fill the air slowly.

“It’s over, kid. Come on, let go of him. You’ve won. There’s no need to punch him anymore. It’s over.”

Izuku quivered in her arms. Slowly, he let go of Bakugo and fell on his knees, face blank and chest heaving as the blonde was taken away. Present Mic’s voice was oddly soft.

“And the winner is Izuku Midoriya.”

The crowd didn’t cheer.

The rest happened in a blur. Izuku remained blank and quiet during the whole ceremony, which was unusually short given the second and one of the third places were still recovering. As soon as Izuku got his medal, he fled like a thief without listening to any of All Might’s speech. He dived in the locker room, barely stopping to change, and it was only by chance that Kyoka caught him.

“Izuku, are you alright?”

“Medal taken.” Izuku said tonelessly. “Promise held. Please leave me.”

Kyoka did, but only to make a beeline for All Might. The Symbol of Peace was surprised to see the girl go straight for him.

“Young Jiro? What is it?”

“It’s Izuku! He isn’t fine. At all. I don’t know what’s going on but I can tell he’s hurting. Please, help him!”

All Might froze. Izuku’s beating of Bakugo had been completely out of character, and he was perceptive and well-acquainted enough with the teen to figure how he felt at a glance. Izuku had been on the edge of a breakdown ever since he left the arena. He called Aizawa.

“Young Midoriya is having a nervous breakdown and ran away. I know where he went. I’m going after him.”

“_How can you be sure?_” Aizawa asked.

“I know the teen as Toshi-san. I know exactly where he went and why. I’ll get back to you later.”

“_Got it. Make sure he’s alright._”

Meanwhile, the stadium was slowly emptying. Kyoka had gone with her parents and Inko was following Michiro and Eiko while Tensei talked to Tenya.

“You’re going to Idaten for Work Week, right?”

“That’s a given. You’re going to take anyone else?”

“I think so. Vicious beating aside, I really liked the talents your friend displayed. Midoriya-kun has a versatile Quirk, but he proved through the Festival he wasn’t limited to it. This is an asset. I would have much to teach him if he took on my offer.”

“Got it. I’ll pass the word. I may not be as close as his pre-U.A. friends, but we get along well. I’m sure he will listen if I personally extend your offer.”

“Thanks, Little Brother.”

Tensei suddenly noticed Michiro had his phone on his ear and was standing very still, Inko and Eiko looking worriedly at him. Finally, the courier hung his phone.

“Michiro-san?” Tensei asked softly. “What’s going on?”

“…It’s Haneko. She is in Hosu General Hospital. Stain… The Hero Killer… He got her. They’re not sure she’ll make it.”

Tenya’s shoulder was the only thing that kept Tensei from falling to his knees.

* * *

And here is the last chapter of the Sport Festival. Written in four days, posted in four. This is the first time I write so many chapters in one go. Phew...

Trivia bit:  
Sideway hand glide: a one-armed spinning move that looks like a Freeze (halting all body motions) but is executed on the side after picking up speed.

Also, the fight scene with Izuku and Hitoshi was partially inspired by the bit from the [Stormblood trailer](https://youtu.be/Jt1h1MinlLI) where Lyse and the Warrior of Light have a friendly spar. I always found the choregraphy beautiful.

And karma finally catched up with Bakugo, and it has the shape of Izuku's fists. For information, for those who are poor at math, his third Fuck translates as Fuck-Cubed. A cubic measure of "Oh fuck" coming from the series' biggest bully. And a grim reminder that even the nicest guys have their limits.


	14. A little party never killed nobody

All Might jumped across the city, crossing it as fast as his leaps could take him.

_Of course, Young Izuku would have a breakdown. Everyone can and will get angry when pushed past a certain point, this is natural. Doesn’t mean they’ll like the result. Young Izuku has a kind heart. Hurting people isn’t natural to him, no matter how justified. Now, the rage has gone and guilt is crushing him because it isn’t like him at all to hurt people so badly, no matter the reason. I must find him. I must comfort him. I still think he is worthy of One for All. If anything, his defeat of Young Bakugo has showed that kindness doesn’t blind him. If he has to, he can and will bring violence to the field. Kindness means neither idiocy nor weakness, and he is the living proof of that._

At last, he reached Shadda’s Crossing.

“Now, to find the deepest, darkest corner of this Escheresque maze…”

Or simply follow the sobs. It was pure chance that his ears picked the soft sobbing, amplified by the place’s echo. The Symbol of Peace walked to the dark corner of a porch, shrank to Toshi-san and watched Izuku weep. The teen was curled on himself, head in his knees and arms wrapped around them, his back shuddering with each sob. The shriveled man walked to him.

“Izuku? Young Izuku?”

“…Toshi-san?”

Toshinori smiled gently. Izuku looked away, hesitant. A moment later, he was in his arms and crying in earnest. Toshinori let him. There was no use in bottling emotions. Keeping them inside only made them brew and eventually rot you from the inside. This was why he enjoyed being with Inko. Even if he couldn’t tell her everything, he could still confide in her. Inko had had the unexpected effect of reminding him which of his personalities was the mask. The Symbol of Peace was an icon. Under the mask, there was a sick man who had a life of his own, a woman he loved dearly – and fully intended to marry sooner more so than later – four children who looked up to him as a parental figure (father for Izuku and Hitoshi, uncle for Denki and Kyoka) and friends with whom he could laugh and share a drink. People may look up to All Might and revere him as the Symbol of Peace, but people like Inko, Izuku, Michiro and the U.A. staff reminded him why it existed in the first place.

They also reminded him that, sometimes, Toshi-san was just as necessary as All Might. Sometimes people didn’t need a distant icon to look at, they needed the arms of a friend to cry in.

Izuku eventually spoke.

“…I lost control. In the finals. Against Bakugo._ I lost control_. Bakugo… he had hurt so many people! And it hurt me too, and it made me mad, and I wanted to hurt him in turn, as much as he hurt the others… Neito, Denki, Kyoka, Itsuka… Kyoka cried in our arms after Denki was beaten. She’s usually so strong! But she cried, this time. Because Denki got hurt. I couldn’t… I couldn’t do nothing. I had to… I wanted to… make him hurt. As much as he hurt others. _What’s wrong with me?_ I’m not like that, usually. I don’t like hurting people, because I know what it’s like to be hurt. Why would I want to hurt others?”

“You said it yourself.” Toshinori said gently. “Because Young Bakugo hurt others. Not only that, he hurt people close to you. So, you got even. Even the nicest person in the world has their limits. That, and I guess you wanted to give Young Bakugo a taste of the pain he inflicted to teach him a lesson. Hopefully, you succeeded and your classmate learned some empathy.”

Izuku belatedly remembered he had told Shoto hurting him and his was a good way to rile him. Bakugo had done exactly that. It still didn’t justify the utterly ruthless beatdown Izuku had delivered to the blonde.

“I still went too far. I still lost control.”

“Again. It just wasn’t your Quirk, this time. It was your temper. But, if there is a thing I know about you, it is that you learn from your mistakes. After you first used Cacophony, you established rules and safeguards to harness it properly. After you first used Apotheosis, you spent years mastering your new form while establishing clearly where and when to use it. The same will go with your temper. Now, you know you can be extremely violent when pushed past a certain point. You will have to figure out where the point is exactly and take measures to avoid reaching it – and, if you still get there, control the urge long enough to aim it properly and establish safeguards to limit the damage.”

Izuku meekly nodded. Toshinori once again blessed his time spent with the kids. He was an average teacher at best, but he had still spent enough time with the foursome to know how to guide children and advise them. It helped him at U.A.

They remained in each other’s arms a little longer before standing.

“Come on, your mother promised to celebrate and your friends are worried about you, especially Young Kyoka.”

“Uh, right. We had promised to have a party after the Festival.” A smile crossed his face. “Neito, Itsuka and Fumikage befriended a student from the Support Course, Mei Hatsume. Guess we can invite her too. I overheard Neito and Fumi-san say they had given her ideas for support items…”

Toshinori smiled as the pair left the Crossing. Izuku was smiling again. It was good. Still, as the Midoriya household came in sight, Izuku hesitated.

“I… I hope everyone else is okay. What I did… It was extreme. I wonder… and I fear, how they will react.”

Toshinori looked down. Tensei and Tenya had sat close to them during the fight. He had heard everything the younger Iida had said. If push came to shove, he could always show up as All Might and smooth things out. What Izuku had done was out of character for him but otherwise perfectly normal. His classmates needed to understand that.

As soon as he got home, Hitoshi tackled him in a hug.

“I was worried sick… Feeling better, now?”

“Yeah, for now. The biggest issue will be the others tomorrow. I lost control… I hope they won’t be too scared.”

“They most likely will.” Kyoka said somberly. “Don’t worry, we’ll be with you. Denki should be released sometime tonight, so he’ll go straight home. It’s just us for tonight.”

Izuku nodded before noticing someone was missing.

“Where’s Michiro-sensei?”

Inko grimaced.

“…Actually, his wife was injured by the hero killer Stain in Hosu. He went to her side.”

“Shit! …Sorry. I hope Haneko-san makes it.”

“We all do, Sweetie.”

Celebration was a merry but quiet affair, adults and children spending the night in the household. The next day, Izuku, Hitoshi and Kyoka were relieved to see Denki join them near the entrance. Kyoka outright hugged him.

“You got better!”

“Yeah, thanks to Recovery Girl. Her Quirk is a miracle maker. Neito was released sometime before.”

“Oh. That’s great to hear.”

They walked together to the classroom, Izuku shrinking under the looks the other students gave him. Denki looked at his friends.

“What did he do to earn that?”

“Well, Bakugo sent you and Neito to Recovery Girl so he rearranged his face with his fists.” Hitoshi explained. “Without his Quirk.”

Denki turned to Izuku.

“Damn, that must have been a sight.”

“The only reason people let him is because everyone was too shocked to react.” Kyoka said softly. “It was so out of character it felt like it came completely out of nowhere. Now… I’m not surprised people are scared. The sweetest guy in U.A. just delivered the mother of all ass-kicking to another student, even if he had it coming. I mean, I did punch Bakugo in the face after your match…”

“Uh. On one hand, I’m worried you can become so brutal when angered. On the other, if I get badly hurt again, it’s reassuring to know the other guy’s gonna regret it big time. And thanks, Kyoka!”

“You’re welcome.”

Izuku smiled. At the very least, his friends were okay with him. Now came the others. The rest of Class 1-A went quiet the moment they stepped in. The four friends remained close, ready to defend Izuku. Conversation started again in hushed whispers, the other students occasionally glancing at the green-haired teen. Izuku quickly had enough. He stood from his seat and his friends got ready for the worst…

“I lost control during my fight with Bakugo.”

The whole class went silent, eyes on him. Izuku kept talking.

“Bakugo had spent the entire Festival acting like a brute and a bully and he sent two people I care for to Recovery Girl. So, I snapped. And I went overboard. I apologize for that. I apologize for the violence and for scaring you. It wasn’t my intention. I just…” Izuku hesitated, weighting his words. “I just wanted him to stop, permanently. Please, forgive my behavior.”

This was apparently the right thing to say because the whole class relaxed. So did his friends, but they were the last to do it. Shoto reclined in his seat.

“This is the one thing the Festival taught me: thread carefully with kind people. You never know how far they’ll go when they stop being nice.”

Bakugo had been oddly quiet ever since he’d entered. When he spoke, it was barely above a whisper.

“…Silly. When you kick a guy’s ass, you don’t apologize. They do.”

Kyoka hissed.

“Well, I’m not hearing any Sorry coming from your mouth, Bakugo.”

“Not gonna be enough. Gonna need more than words to properly apologize, this time.”

The whole class was dead silent. On one hand, Bakugo was extremely prideful and never admitted he was wrong. Ever. He was also loud and temperamental. Today, the blonde’s behavior was the polar opposite: humble, quiet and subdued. Shoji could swear his nose still looked crooked somehow, and not all of his bruises were gone, just like Denki still had some burn traces on his body. Recovery Girl’s Quirk made miracles, but it only went so far.

“It seems these are times for firsts.” Fumikage said quietly. “Yesterday, for the first time, Midoriya displayed the true extend of his wrath. For the first time, Todoroki let his flames ignite before us. For the first time, first place was claimed without Quirks… and today, for the first time, Bakugo’s voice is quiet and his head is low.”

He had a point. More than a few students of Class 1-A felt like the world was currently upside-down. Aizawa finally entered.

“In light of the Sport Festival, you will have today and the next two days off. I heard several of you talk about wanting to celebrate after the event. The Principal has agreed to it. Lunch Rush has prepared food and drinks in the cafeteria and Vlad King is currently informing Class 1-B about the party. Those who don’t want to go are free to head home. That will be all.”

The whole class whooped, packed and exited in time to see Class 1-B exit, schoolbags in hands. The two classes shared a single look before heading together to the cafeteria. Bakugo left halfway to go home. The others gave him a weird look.

“You’re not coming?”

“Got better things to do.” The blonde mumbled. “Can celebrate after I apologize.”

Fair enough. Most teachers had sent their class away for the next few days so the cafeteria was empty. A corner of the place had been saved for the party, tables put together and covered with snacks both sweet and salty, bottles of fruit juice and sodas scattered over with plenty of plastic glasses for everyone. The students sat as Kyoka took her phone to play some music, taking in requests left and right while cobbling a playlist. It helped she had free access to Izuku’s selection and, since the green-haired teen had to keep his earphones on constantly, it was easier for the girl to play DJ. The teachers sat at their own pre-prepared table, soon joined by Power Loader who had accompanied Mei. The girl made a beeline for the Hero students and was warmly welcomed.

“She spent most of the evening and some of this morning making plans and schematics.” Power Loader sighed. “I have no idea what happened since I was busy with the second years, but it seems she has found new sources of inspiration.”

“She did.” Midnight grinned. “She and Neito Monoma made a deal during the duels. In return for helping her promote her gear, he got top-priority in equipment. Something about their respective styles meshing well…”

“Monoma’s costume is based on Victorian aesthetics while Hatsume seems to have a noted preference for Steampunk, which was inspired by the Victorian era.” Vlad King noted.

“Put it that way, it’s no surprise.”

The teachers smiled knowingly. Meanwhile, the Hero students had warmly welcomed Mei and included her in their discussions. Aizawa saw Eijiro serve a glass of apple juice to Tokoyami.

“You remembered.” The bird-headed teen smiled.

“Yeah, you said you hoped there would be some after our fight.”

Kyoka looked at Itsuka.

“How are your ears?”

“They’re fine, thanks. Recovery Girl’s Quirk healed them in full.”

“Phew… I usually try to avoid using tricks like that, but your giant hands scared me a bit so I held back less than usual. Usually, I save in-matter vibration for inert things.”

“I’ll be honest: I thought my bones would disintegrate. Looks like Izuku isn’t the only one who can lower his fairness threshold when things get rough…”

“Fairness threshold…” Hitoshi chuckled. “Cute way to put it. But yeah, one of Aizawa-sensei’s lessons is that, if you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactic sucks. He said that just before jumping in an entire throng of villains and summarily kicking their ass.”

“Oh, that was the USJ, right?”

“Yeah.”

Aizawa grinned under his scarf.

“Good to see they can learn.”

Denki was on the edge of the area, demonstrating several breakdance techniques to some of the students. He was currently in a _L-kick_ that he stayed in for three seconds before wheeling back on his feet.

“You’re fitter than you look.” Sen Kaibara noted. “I’d be hard-pressed to pull stunts like that, especially in a fight.”

Inasa Yoarashi clapped.

“True that. On the other hand, you got technique, firepower _and_ style. It’s really nice to watch.”

Mina laughed.

“I practice breakdancing too as a hobby. I never thought of adding it to my fighting before because I didn’t see how it was practical. Guess I wasn’t looking far enough.”

She took Denki’s spot and started some _toprock_ moves before freezing in her steps and looking at her skirt, face red. The men looked at one another. Mina grumbled, straightened her skirt and turned to the exit.

“I’ll be back.”

“Mina, wait, I’ll alter it for you.”

The girl turned to Izuku, who was holding a hand. Sighing, she went to him and let him hold the hem of the cloth. Static came from Izuku’s hand and flew to the skirt, shortening it slightly while adding a pair of shorts.

“Even with shorts added, a Scooter skirt remains a skirt. There, you should be able to breakdance decently, Mina.”

“Thanks, Izuku!”

Mineta sighed loudly. Kyoka darted a jack in his direction. Mina went back to the spot and started dancing in earnest under the crowd’s whistles, chaining spins with flares and ending on a _2000_. Her audience cheered.

“We need to have a dance battle one of these days.” Denki grinned. “You’re good.”

“Coming from the guy who uses it to fight, that’s high praise. Challenge accepted, Kaminari. After the Internships?”

“If you want.”

Meanwhile, Izuku had summoned a Bluescat that had gone straight for its favorite spot: Hitoshi’s shoulder. Eying Aizawa, he quickly summoned an Ethnicat that went straight to the homeroom teacher and curled on his knees. Aizawa stroked it, a small pleased smile on his face. Midnight found the scene adorable.

Tetsutetsu, Yuga, Manga and Kyoka were discussing music. Tetsutetsu, naturally, was a metalhead. His classmate had a preference for J-Pop. Kyoka was a punk rocker. Yuga was a disco lover. On a dare, Kyoka shifted the music to the Bee Gees’ _Staying Alive_. Joined by Toru, the three boys started singing the iconic song while being equally on and off-key. Present Mic found the scene hilarious.

Itsuka, Neito, Mei, Izuku and Hitoshi were discussing Quirks and aesthetics. As Tokoyami had thought, Izuku and the Support Student had gotten along like a house on fire and were currently comparing notes, Mei looking at a notebook filled more than halfway through. Neito was also watching with a really envious look. He and Mei turned to one another…

“_Dibs!_”

“It’s alright, I’ll make copies.” Izuku reassured. “I’ll also give you the first volume once I get it back.”

“Looks like it’s not just your Quirk that comes with a manual!” Neito whistled. “You’ve made a notebook and a half on your classmates alone and you don’t look close to done… When will you make ours?”

“When I’ve time. The problem is that I don’t spend that much time with you guys, so I don’t know your Quirks as much as I know the others’, so anything I write about you will be based in part on speculation… I’m not fond of it. Extrapolating on unknowns is a surefire way to make mistakes. I prefer working with concrete facts.”

“I _need_ a copy of those notebooks if I want to make proper support gear for you guys!” Mei hissed.

“Don’t worry, I’ll get you one.”

“Out of curiosity…” Itsuka asked. “Did you make one on the teachers too?”

“Sure. Here.”

He fished another notebook. The moment he held it, Aizawa, Midnight and Present Mic jumped from their seats – much to the Ethnicat’s displeasure – and made a beeline for the students. Aizawa glared and held a hand. Izuku hesitated.

“I am not going to confiscate it, Problem Child. I just want to read the contents first.”

Reassured, Izuku handed his sensei the notebook. The three teachers went back to their seat and started reading. After ten minutes, Vlad King shook his head.

“This isn’t a notebook. This is a borderline encyclopedia.”

“Where did he find all that information?” Present Mic asked, bewildered. “Some of this stuff… It can’t have been just the result of observation.”

Aizawa frowned.

“Midoriya was a late-bloomer. His Quirk appeared at six instead of four, so he spent two years believing himself to be Quirkless. It’s during that time that he developed the habit of gathering information on Quirks. At least, this is what I’ve been told.”

“Well, that’s a skill he _honed_.” Midnight hummed. “Damn, you almost wouldn’t need a Quirk to beat us with that kind of knowledge…”

The other teachers wholeheartedly agreed, making mental notes to cover the weaknesses pointed by the notebook. At the students’ table, Mei looked Izuku dead in the eyes.

“I need a copy of these and any further notebooks you’ll make on your classmates’ Quirks. Name your price, Midoriya.”

Izuku considered. Itsuka frowned.

“Don’t you and Neito already have a deal?”

“We do, and I’m already working on it and Tokoyami’s grenades. I got a few ideas based on squid and octopi ink. As for Neito, he sent me a copy of his costume so I could style the rings appropriately.”

“Rings?”

“DNA Holders for his Quirks. Here.”

She took several sheets she put next to Izuku’s notebook. The group looked at it. Izuku grinned.

“Classical and stylish. You must look good in that.”

“He does.” Itsuka hummed.

“I based it on Victorian Era outfits, especially those of classical gentlemen thieves.” Neito explained.

“And I just so happen to have a fondness for Steampunk.” Mei grinned. “We fit.”

Itsuka frowned at the girl. Setsuna Tokage noticed.

“What’s the matter, Kendo-chan? Worried Gear Girl is gonna steal your boyfriend?”

Itsuka’s jump was impressive.

“**Neito’s not my – !** Damn it, Setsuna!”

Setsuna laughed. Neito was silent, but his face screamed “What the Hell!?” Mei scoffed.

“Don’t worry, sister. I’m not into this stuff.”

“…What stuff?” Hitoshi asked.

“Kissing. Dating. _That_ stuff. Never had time, never caught my interest. I’d rather spend the evening in my workshop with a blowtorch and a box of chocolates than at a fancy joint sipping pink wine.”

“You’re… not into romance?”

“Nope. I just… I can see, on a pragmatic level, why people would form a family, have kids and do the stuff, but I’ve never been in love or attracted to anyone. I’m just not interested. Got better things to do with my hands, and the world’s crowded enough that I can afford not pumping more babies into it – flesh ones, I mean. Metal and artificial ones are a different story...”

Power Loader tilted his head.

“Given how she tends to ignore personal space, I would have never pegged her as asexual. Aromantic is less surprising, I admit.”

Hitoshi grinned.

“Steampunk, uh? I’m partial to Cyberpunk, myself. Shadowrun, Deux Ex, the Cyberpunk 20XX series…”

“You too?” Yosetsu perked. “You know the series? It’s centuries old, but Shadowrun and the Cyberpunk 20XX series are absolute classics, especially the 2077 game with Keanu Reeves as Johnny Silverhand.”

“I suffer from chronic insomnia so I play them until I can go back to sleep.” Hitoshi smiled. “The graphisms are impressive for the era, especially the character creation, but the storyline is sweet as well. _Wake the fuck up, Samurai. We have a city to burn._”

“Yeah!” Yosetsu laughed. “Keanu Reeves was a real legend back then. One of the most respected actors of the era. Even today, people consider him an icon of pop culture.”

“If Keanu Reeves is a legend of acting, Miracle of Sound is a legend of music.” Izuku said casually. “He is one of the greatest filk singers known to history. And, actually, he made at least two songs for Cyberpunk 2077: _City of Dreams_ and _Neon Red_. I think there was more, but a certain amount of Internet culture was lost during the Dark Age of Quirks. It includes songs that were stored only there.”

He took his phone and started playing City of Dreams. Hitoshi and Yosetsu listened with a grin on their faces.

Hiryu and Mashirao were having an eating contest. However, the point of contention wasn’t how much to eat but how much to get. Pony put a chip between the two boys.

“One-Two-Three-_Snatch!_”

Two hands darted to the chip. Hiryu put his fingers to his mouth, only to find them empty. He looked at his opponent to see Machirao licking his fingers.

“Four to two, dragon boy.”

“You just wait, tail guy. Next one will be for me.”

Pony put a new chip and counted.

“One-Two-Three-_Snatch!_”

Two hands darted again. This time, it was the tailed teen who came empty. Hiryu smirked.

“Told you.”

Pony put a new chip.

“One-Two-Three-_Snatch!_”

The two boys grabbed the chip… and both came empty. They looked around until they found Tsuyu, smug grin on her face and tongue still licking her lips.

“_Ribbit~_”

Hiryu glared and offered her a chair.

“Challenge accepted, frog girl.”

Tsuyu sat as Pony set a new chip, tongue darting in excitement as the two boys got ready, eyes on the prize.

The teachers watched them with a smile on their face. It was lively, convivial and merry, just what a group of teenagers would need to unwind after the competition of the Sports Festival. Present Mic turned to Aizawa. His best friend was smiling one of his kinder smiles, something that was happening more frequently, these days. He sipped his drink and petted the Ethnicat. Positive influence went both ways.

* * *

Trivia bits:

L-kick: equally considered a freeze and a power move (a flashy move which requires equal technique and physical skill), it is done by freezing halfway through a cartwheel, rising a leg in the air and keeping the other held horizontally so both form a L, hence the name. The body stands on one hand.

Toprock: the foot movement performed from a standing position, equally a warm-up and a display of skills.

2000: a particularly flashy spinning handstand, often considered a power move instead of a spin.


	15. What's in a name

The first thing Aizawa announced as they returned from break was that they would choose their Hero names. The class naturally rioted. Aizawa’s eyes glowing red was all it took for the students to calm down.

First was given the nominations from Pro Heroes. Izuku winced in anticipation. Sure, he was confident he and his friends had done well, but his brutal beatdown of Bakugo had to have soured the Pros’ opinions. He dared a look and couldn’t hold a whistle.

First place: Hitoshi Shinso, 1 702 nominations.  
Second place: Denki Kaminari, 1 653 nominations.  
Third place: Izuku Midoriya, 1 485 nominations.  
Fourth place: Shoto Todoroki, 1368 nominations.  
Fifth place: Fumikage Tokoyami, 1109 nominations.

The next six were in the hundreds while the rest of the class was in the double-digits. Bakugo was dead last with a grand total of five nominations. The blonde shrugged.

“Karma, I guess.”

Hitoshi starred at the list.

“I was that good?”

“You got third place and basically ended your last fight on a standstill.” Denki grinned. “Damn right, you’re top! Also, I’m the other third place and I’m right behind you.”

He had a point. Hitoshi’s chest swelled with pride. Izuku smiled.

“You’ve come a long way.”

“Yeah… but only because I wasn’t alone. I am very, very glad I met you guys.”

Kyoka smiled warmly and looked at the list.

“You still ended third, Izuku. That’s higher than you thought, right?”

“Much higher! After the way I snapped, I was almost certain I’d end in the double-digits!”

“Well, utter trouncing aside, you did demonstrate a lot of skills, and not just with your Quirk. No wonder the Pros would like a piece of you!”

“Phrasing, Blon – Kaminari.”

The group turned to Bakugo and gave him a look.

“…Welp, looks like the lesson was learned.”

Next step was choosing their aliases. Midnight entered the room, all sexy walk and sexy curves and sultry voice. Out of curiosity, Aizawa looked who was receptive to it and who wasn’t…

Mineta’s face was flushed. Of course, the class pervert would react. Shoto feigned interest, but it was clear his colleague’s attempt at distraction was falling short. Izuku was watching, but not because of the sexy. Aizawa recognized the look. The teen was analyzing. Hitoshi rolled his eyes and glanced at his best friend, a small yet fond smile on his face. He was getting worse at hiding his feelings… Denki blinked, turned to Kyoka, shrugged and went back to watching. Uh? Kyoka, meanwhile, looked downright jealous. Finally, Momo looked particularly interested before catching herself and looking away in embarrassment. Once again: uh?

Well, this was going to be interesting.

Midnight gave the students fifteen minutes to come up with their names. Izuku grinned at his choice. He had long decided what he wanted to be called, so the answer was easy. He glanced at Hitoshi and grinned at his choice.

“Not bad.”

Hitoshi looked at his choice and snickered. Yuga was the first to come… and his choice was a bit ridiculous. _I Cannot Stop Twinkling_? Really? It wasn’t an alias, it was a full sentence! Midnight summarily banished him back to his seat. Mina was next and, in Izuku’s opinion,_ Alien Queen_ was marginally better. Too bad there was such thing as copyright. Tsuyu was next, and her alias was equally cute and fitting.

_Froppy_, the Rainy Season Hero. Midnight agreed wholeheartedly.

Eijiro was next with a grin on his face. His alias was _Red Riot_ the Sturdy Hero, an homage to his role model Crimson Riot.

“Using a name relating you to another Hero can be a burden to bear.” Midnight gently warned. “By taking this name, you also take a part of Crimson Riot’s legacy. Doing so is all to your honor, but you should be aware of the risks…”

“I know. I’m ready for this. Crimson Riot was a major source of inspiration when I was younger. I never met him but… he still inspired me to become better than I was back then.”

“Very well.” Midnight smiled. “If you feel ready, then I won’t refuse. Next.”

Kyoka was next, grinning confidently. She would be the DJ Hero, _Soundwave_. Midnight didn’t refuse.

“You said before you wanted to be a singer and a Pro Hero. There is nothing wrong with that. In fact, having another job, especially in the show-business, holds several advantages for Pros. And you proved during the Sports Festival you had some talent in that field. Your choices of battle themes were inspired.”

Kyoka danced on her feet, equally flattered and embarrassed. Denki followed her with his own alias: the Dancing Hero, _Breakbeat_.

“People keep complimenting me on how I combine breakdancing with my Quirk to fight. Might as well go the whole length and make it my shtick.”

Midnight wholeheartedly approved. Hitoshi wanted to go next but Sero beat him to the punch with his own alias: the Taping Hero _Cellophane_. Mezo Shoji was next as the Tentacle Hero _Tentacole_. Ojiro and Sato almost got in an argument about copying when they saw the other’s alias: the Sweets Hero _Sugarman_ and the Martial Arts Hero _Tailman_. Mina finally came back with a new alias: _Pinky_. Hagakure came with the simple and perfectly appropriate Stealth Hero, _Invisible Girl_ while Momo took a shorter alias: the Everything Hero _Creati_. Hitoshi finally found a slot and showed his own alias. Midnight raised a brow.

“The Purple Hero, _Manticore_? Right, you can transform into a graffiti one and purple is indeed your color. Interesting choice. I would have thought you’d go for something more related to your Quirk, like Trance or Mastermind…”

“It was my original choice but, since I’m going the Underground path and I got Apotheosis in the meantime, I thought a bit of misdirection would be nice.”

“Very well. Manticore, it is.”

Shoto gave the teen a weird look before erasing his alias and writing a new one he presented. Midnight chuckled.

“Rubbing it in daddy dearest’s face, are we?”

“Going the mythological path isn’t a bad idea.” Shoto shrugged. “If Shinso can be Manticore, then I will be _Cryophenix_, the Coldflame Hero.”

“Works for me.”

Izuku followed him with his own alias and a grin on his face. Midnight snickered.

“The Bunny Hero, _Vorpal_? It’s true that your Apotheosed form is a particularly deadly rabbit.”

“It is also true that I have a reputation as a prankster. Case in point: you just fell for one. I wrote this alias as a joke. This…” He erased the alias and wrote something else. “Is what I want to become.”

Midnight gave the new alias a good look.

“The Graffiti Hero, _Tag_. Simple, short and self-explanatory. Not bad.”

“Also, tags in street art are generally used as a signature.”

“Hm, true. Very well, you can keep it.”

Keeping in the theme of myths and legends, Tokoyami came up next with the alias of _Tsukuyomi_, the Jet-Black Hero. Mineta gave a touch of silliness to the event with his alias, the Fresh Picked Hero _Grape Juice_. Koda came up with the alias of _Anima_, the Petting Hero. Ochako went the puny way with her alias, _Uravity_. Yuga finally reluctantly settled on the Shining Hero, _Twinkle_, while Tenya kept the engine theme going in his family with _Volvo_, the Turbo Hero. Bakugo simply gave _Baku_ and made clear he would change once he could think of something better. Midnight smiled.

“Those are all great choices. I am sure you will live up to them.”

“Thanks, Sensei!”

Aizawa nodded.

“Now this part is over, it is time to talk about the Workplace Training. The event will last a week, with those who received nominations getting a personalized list – which is all of you. Pick one, and keep in mind this most likely won’t be where you will be going for the true Internships. Workplace Training is mainly to give you a foretaste of Hero business. Turn them in by the end of the week.”

The class immediately started talking. Not a minute later, Vlad King knocked with a request.

“Mind if my class joins? They just finished picking their aliases and… more or less cajoled me into joining your kids.”

Present Mic was with him. Aizawa raised a brow.

“Cajoled?”

“They can be very persuasive when they want something.”

“You’re watching with me, then.”

“Deal.”

Class 1-B entered and groups instantly formed in the classroom.

“I’m gonna go with Mt Lady!” Mineta instantly declared.

The girl rolled their eyes.

“As expected of the class pervert.” Itsuka turned to Momo. “Where are you going?”

“Uwabami. She personally requested me.”

“Uh, you too? Guess we’ll have that Workplace Training together.”

Denki and Kyoka shared a look.

“Which reminds us…”

They left their seat and made a beeline for Present Mic. Kyoka spoke.

“So… If your offer is still open, I think I’ll take it. Just, do you have a room for Denki too? Hero showbiz also interests him.”

“Of course! That would be my pleasure!”

Denki chuckled.

“Do be honest, I was hesitating between you and Uwabami. I would have gone there is you’d refused, but I’m glad you could take me along!”

Aizawa looked at the pair and sighed. Hitoshi remembered his retort during the Sports Festival and went to find him.

“Sensei, you said you were interested in taking one of us for Training. May I ask who?”

“You.” Aizawa grumbled. “But calling dibs on a student just idn’t something you do. Who you pick for Workplace Training must be your decision alone, and it wouldn’t do to influence your choice in any way. So, all I can do is put my name in the list and hope. Where you choose to go is all up to you.”

He gave his best friend a pointed, Quirkless glare. Present Mic shook his head. Hitoshi smiled.

“Well, you were among my choices. I was trying to decide between you and Edge Shot. If you want me in, I’m in. You are an Underground Hero the kind I aim to become.”

Aizawa felt oddly flattered. The ghost of a smile crept on his face.

“Then welcome aboard.”

Tenya looked at them. He turned and went straight for Izuku, who was considering his option.

“Midoriya-kun, if I may suggest…”

Izuku turned to him and smiled.

“You’re going with your brother at Idaten, right?”

“Yes, and it hopefully won’t be alone. _Nii-san_ expressed the desire to have you for Workplace Training. Your skills with and without your Quirk have greatly impressed him, and I agree that you would have much to learn from him. So, if you please…”

Izuku considered.

“…Alright, I’m in. Besides, you asked nicely.”

Tenya held a cheer. Aizawa nodded. So, the Fearsome Foursome were settled. This left the rest. Ochako had decided to go with Gunhead, much to Tsuyu’s surprise.

“Gunhead is a fighting specialist. I thought you wanted to focus on rescue.”

“I know, but some notions of fighting are always good to have as a Pro and I realized during the Sports Festival that I had, well, none. So, that’s where I’m going.”

“_Jack-of-all-trades, master of none, often better than a master of one._” Denki quoted.

“Exactly my point.”

Tsuyu hummed.

“I want to go somewhere flood or water-related. Let’s see. Hochinami Agency, Oki Mariner, Aqua Avengers…”

Eijiro and Tetsutetsu had made their choice.

“Wherever we go, it’s together. What do you say, Bro?”

“Works for me, Bro.”

Bakugo picked a choice and gave it to Aizawa who raised a brow.

“Best Jeanist? As you wish. I’m still surprised such a high-ranking Hero would pick you, Problem Child, but everyone has their reason.”

Bakugo didn’t say a word. Neito and Setsuna had decided to go with Edge Shot while Koda had followed Ibara at Kamui Wood’s agency. Neito took Pony and went to Izuku.

“Hey, I have a small favor if you mind.”

Izuku turned to him.

“Sure. What do you need?”

“My name.” Pony said. “I can’t come with a good alias. Neito said you give good advice, so he counseled I ask you.”

Izuku hummed.

“What kind of hero are you aiming to be? Wait, before that, what’s your outfit like?”

“Now I think about it, we never got to show our respective costumes.” Kyoka noted. “We don’t know what you guys look like, and you don’t know what we look like either. Sad.”

“True enough.” Neito hummed. “Guess I’ll have to ask Vlad King about it. Politely.”

Vlad King sighed. Pony took her phone and showed a picture to Izuku, whose face immediately lit up. He took his phone.

“I got two names for you. You’re American, right?”

“Yes, I was born in Houston.”

“Then how about Western or Country? Aside from being musical genres, they also refer to Spaghetti Westerns, a kind of movies made about the Wild West, which is an important part of American culture. Also, your outfit alludes to equitation. Why not play that aspect of you by being an Old West-like Hero? It will bring some novelty to the scene.”

He put the volume on lowest and played Ennio Morricone’s The Ecstasy of Gold. Pony hummed. Then he played Rednex’s Cotton Eye Joe. This time, the girl outright danced on her feet, a huge grin on her face.

“Country or Western… Why not both?” She went straight to Vlad King and grinned. “I found my alias, Teacher: The Western Hero, Country!”

“Fine by me.”

Tokoyami was looking at his list. Kuroiro looked over his shoulder.

“Anything interesting?”

“Well, Hawks sounds none too bad… What about you, my ebon friend?”

“I was considering the Undersiders. They are a robust team led by Yamiyo, whose Quirk generates sense-dampening darkness. Meanwhile, Rika’s Quirk-powered guessing makes her amazing at mission control while Ryoken’s mutated hounds assure the transport and Ningyo manipulates people through their nervous system. I heard they had a new member, Oko, who can control small animals…”

“Someone did their research, I see…”

Fumikage sounded amused. Kuroiro looked away, embarrassed.

“I… I always admired Yamiyo. Quicks such as his are generally considered evil, yet he is a well-respected Pro. He is my role model.”

“Well then.” The bird-headed teen smiled. “I shall accompany you to the Undersiders. Children of the night should support each other.”

Shoto looked at his list. It was large, but one thing was still bothering him: his father’s agency was in it. And, knowing the man, he wasn’t likely to take no for an answer. He decided to find Izuku. His classmate always had good advice.

“Midoriya, may I ask for a favor?”

Izuku perked up.

“Sure thing, Shoto.”

“You know much about Heroes. I was wondering if you knew one my father wouldn’t dare to cross.”

“Why?”

“Because.” Shoto frowned. “If I pick a different agency from his, he is going to bully them until they shift me to his own. Your words may be true, but the last thing I want right now is to work with him. It’s still too early to try reconciling.”

Izuku nodded.

“I don’t have a specific name, but Toshi-san works with All Might. I’ll ask him if he can come up with a solution.”

“Thanks.”

The teen took his phone and went to the four teachers.

“I got a phone call to make outside for Shoto. I shouldn’t be long.”

“I’ll watch him.” Midnight offered.

Aizawa agreed. Izuku left and punched a number. Toshinori was quick to answer.

“_Izuku, my boy! What do I owe? Aren’t you supposed to be in class?_”

“It’s alright, Toshi-san. I got something to ask you and Midnight is watching me. I’m not skipping anything.”

“_Good. So, what can I do for you?_”

“Well, you work as All Might’s secretary, right? I was wondering if either of you knew a Pro that Endeavor wouldn’t dare to cross for Shoto’s Workplace Experience.”

Toshinori took the time to consider.

“_…There is someone we both know, but he isn’t the easiest person to work with. I will have to ask him. I’ll keep you updated, my boy._”

“Thanks, Toshi-san. See you that evening?”

“_Of course! Your mother is making marlin teriyaki tonight. No way I’m missing that! Completely aside, about that festival at Coruscant Ward, you and your friends still plan to go, right?_”

“Of course! Denki just finished writing a new song and I’m working on one myself. Why do you ask?”

“_Because I fully intent to take your mother on a date and I want to take her to the festival._”

“Oooh… We can’t afford to mess this one up, then. I’ll pass the word. You and Mom are gonna have the greatest time ever!”

“_You have my dearest thanks, my boy._”

Izuku hung with a huge smile on his face. Midnight grinned.

“So?”

“Toshi-san may know someone. He’s gonna ask them and tell me when he got the answer.”

“Good. By the way, what is it about a festival?”

They entered the room. Shoto was watching patiently.

“The Urban Festival at Coruscant Ward. My friends and I got something planned there. And now, Toshi-san wants to take Mom there for a date. We better make it good, then…”  
While he was giving Shoto his answer, Midnight turned to Present Mic.

“The Urban Festival?”

“A festival about street culture that occurs once every two years. Singing, dancing, sport, street art and street snacks… Anything that can be considered urban culture is displayed. I plan to go myself. It’s always a great source of inspiration for my shows. Why do you ask?”

Midnight’s grin was devious.

“Because our wonderous Fearsome Foursome have something planned for the day, and Toshi-san is going to take Bunny Boy’s mother there on a date. He and Kaminari are working on songs.”

Present Mic straightened his glasses and watched the group like a hawk.

The day finally came to an end. As the students left the class, All Might appeared at the entrance.

“I am here… with news for Young Todoroki!”

Shoto immediately perked up. All Might invited him away from the rest of his classmates.

“So, Young Todoroki, Young Midoriya informed me you were looking for a Pro your father wouldn’t dare to cross for Workplace Experience. I have found someone, and I am happy to say they have agreed to take you in.”

Shoto didn’t miss the way All Might looked somewhat nervous. Still, good news.

“Thank you, Sir. Who would it be?”

“…My former mentor, retired Pro Hero Gran Torino. Here is his address. If there is someone Endeavor will never dare to challenge, it’s Sensei.”

Shoto took the paper and put it in his bag. So, he got to intern with All Might’s very own sensei? That was amazing news. But why did the Symbol of Peace look scared?

_Earlier that day…_

Toshinori dialed a number and waited. Sorahiko Torino didn’t take long to answer.

“_Toshinori? It’s been awhile. Why are you calling me?_”

Toshinori grimaced. He still vividly remembered his training with the old man. Did Young Todoroki truly deserve to go through the same hell? …Izuku had personally asked him for a Pro Endeavor wouldn’t challenge, and his old mentor was their safest bet.

“A request from Young Izuku. One of his classmates is the son of Endeavor, but father and son aren’t on good term… Young Todoroki requested a Pro his father wouldn’t dare to cross for Workplace Training.”

“_And you thought about me, uh? So, Endeavor’s brat. I’ve watched the kid during the Sports Festival. Not bad at all, if I say so myself. A bit too willing to focus on his ice side, but if you say he and Endeavor don’t get along, it’s no surprise._”

“Everyone in the stadium heard Young Izuku’s pep talk of how your Quirk is yours alone and you decide what to make with it.”

“_I heard it too. Very inspiring… and I got the feeling this comes from experience._”

“You could say that. Young Izuku had issues in the past with people calling his Quirk villainous. In a roundabout way, Young Todoroki believes the same about his fire side. It comes from his father and his father isn’t a good man, ergo his fire side isn’t good. Young Izuku’s words got through to him, but it will take him time to assimilate the lesson.”

“_Got it. I will train the boy, Toshinori, if only for this week. This is going to be interesting… and **Young Izuku**, uh? You’re still seeing that Midoriya woman, I see._”

“I plan to take her on a date at the Urban Festival.” Toshinori admitted with a grin. “Once it is over… I plan to ask her for good. To marry me. Get engaged. If she says yes, I’ll tell her and Young Izuku the truth. If they take it well, I will offer Young Izuku One for All. Hopefully, he will say yes.”

On the other side, Gran Torino felt his heart flip.

“_God, you’re serious. Are you sure, Toshinori? Are you absolutely certain of your decisions?_”

“I love Inko with all my heart. She is the softest silk and the sharpest steel and Izuku is just like her. He will make an amazing Bearer. If he says no, I still have his friend, Hitoshi Shinso and Mirai’s student, Mirio Togata. But remains my first choice.”

Gran Torino sighed.

“_Very well. I trust you on this… but I want to meet your heir before you give him One for All. If possible, I’d like to meet the Shinso boy as well. Nighteye already introduced me to the Togata kid and he isn’t bad at all._”

“I see. Very well, Sensei. If you go to the Urban Festival at Coruscant Ward, you will meet all of them.”

“_Urban Festival, Coruscant Ward… Got it. I’ll be there._”

He hung up. Toshinori breathed. On one hand, he had good news for Shoto. On the other, Gran Torino was interested in Izuku and his friend. He would lie to admit he didn’t dread the meeting between his old mentor and the two teens.

* * *

Aside from being a car brand, Volvo is the Latin for "I roll" or "I turn", which fits the theme Ingenium got going. Since Tensei is safe and sound in this fic, obviously, Tenya couldn't take his alias.


	16. The right tools for the right job

The day Workplace Study started, Tenya called Izuku to meet him at the station. Izuku found him there alongside Tensei, both waiting in their car.

Of course, being brothers, they would go to work together. The green-haired teen didn’t have that advantage. Instead, he would wait to be picked at the station.

“Tenya’s costume and mine are at HQ. Do you have yours?” Tensei asked.

“I don’t need to bring a costume.” Izuku answered. “I use the Synesthesia aspect of Graffiti Heart to alter my clothes. That’s why I’m wearing something casual today.”

“Oh. Right, Tenya had mentioned you could do that. Useful. You won’t have to carry an on-hand costume if an issue shows up and they need you.”

“Yeah…”

He perfectly remembered the two brothers’ suits of armor. Go carry that in a sports bag…

The trip to Hosu was shorter than Izuku thought. Idaten HQ was a tall tower that supported the agency’s logo. Tensei parked and took the two teens to a back entrance.

“This is the entrance reserved to Pro Heroes and sidekicks. Not everyone’s identity is known to the public, so those who want to keep their public and private identities distinct use it. Those who don’t care use the front door. I usually do but, since you are with me, just one week won’t hurt.”

He gave the pair ID cards for the door and let them inside, taking an elevator to the Heroes’ floor. The changing room was a decent-sized room on the right, right next to the elevator. The Iidas put on their armor while Izuku let static flow over his clothes. Tensei watched as vest, pants and glasses became sleeveless hoodie, khakis and googles.

“We aren’t going to wear our helmets since we’re with the rest of the team, but it would be nice if you could summon a Noise, something small.”

Izuku nodded and hummed Megalovania. A navy blue and white Indie Rabbeat appeared and jumped on his shoulder. Tensei grinned.

“Perfect.”

First thing first, a tour was in order. As Tensei explained, this floor and the two above and below were strictly reserved to Team Idaten’s Heroic members. The rest of the floors was dedicated to everyday business and administration Idaten didn’t have to handle – which was still a considerable amount – as well as various shops and small restaurants on the first floor. Most members ate in the kitchen on the Heroic floor but, when someone felt too lazy to cook or wanted something different for once, they went to the ground floor for a heftier lunch. They would go there since Tensei planned to have them spend the day at the office.

“What, no patrol?” Tenya asked.

“Nope. Today, I am going to show you one of the more boring aspects of Pro Heroism: _paperwork_.”

“Right.” Tenya sighed. “There is more to being a Pro than wandering the streets stopping criminals and rescuing people. Heroes are service workers and must account for their activities, so it stands to reason that paperwork would rank high among their duties.”

“Got that right, Little Brother. Don’t worry, I will take you on patrol tomorrow. Promise.”

Izuku didn’t say anything. Tensei was their leader and Tenya’s elder brother. His trust in the Pro was implicit. They were introduced to some of the Pros and sidekicks present, Onemu Shinya, Bigshot, Enigma… The child-looking sidekick took one look at the Indie Rabbeat and squealed. Izuku sent the Noise in her arms and smiled as she cuddled it.

“It is so cute! You can make others, right?”

“One hundred and fifteen so far.”

He hummed Godsmack’s Bad Religion to summon an Alterna Wolf that licked the girl’s cheek.

“Mom and I use this model as a guard dog. The Grizzlies are for heavier lifting.”

“And this is the reason I wanted you in the team.” Tensei frowned. “While Tenya is going to learn to better use his Quirk and further the Iida techniques in real life situation, you, Midoriya, are going to learn _management_.”

Izuku turned to him and leaned forward. Tensei explained.

“Team Idaten employs a large number of people, Heroes, sidekicks and support. Coordinating everyone and everything to better respond to crisis is a skill in itself. Just like Idaten, you have access to a large number of support members, each with their different strengths and weaknesses. I am going to teach you how to manage your creatures to best answer various situations. The right tool for the right job, if you want.”

Izuku understood.

“I’ll look forward to it, Sir.”

But it wouldn’t happen today. That day was dedicated to paperwork, and so Tensei taught his brother and his friend how to fill which form for what occasion. It was admittedly boring, which is why Izuku didn’t hesitate to hum some of his favorite songs when he felt his mind slipping. Tenya was working with enthusiasm, and Tensei was surprised that the green-haired teen still managed to use his Noises for that kind of work.

When it came to delivering files to this or that office, Decadravens and Reggae Cats were small and fast. The addressee just had to resist the urge to pet the graffiti kitties, as it happened a few times at first.

“Alright, that’s clever.” The Pro admitted. “Beats having to leave your office every half-hour or so.”

The Reggae Cat jumped on Izuku’s shoulder and rubbed its face on his before doing the same with Tenya, who rewarded him with head rubs. They ate at one of the restaurants for lunch. On Tensei’s suggestion and since Tenya was taking the same, Izuku tried the hayashi rice. The rice was a staple of Japanese cooking and the beef stew felt thick and warm in the stomach. For dessert, he picked dangos while the Iida brothers shared manjus.

They were almost finished when an idiot snatched a woman’s handbag and ran to the exit. Before any of the trio could react, the Reggae Cat dashed at the thief and dug claws and fangs in their rear. The thief yelped, tripped and fell on his face, the handbag escaping their hand. Security summarily apprehended them while the Reggae Cat returned to Izuku with a piece of pants fabric in its mouth. Izuku sighed.

“A classic of theirs. For some reason, they really like to go after the _seat of the problem_. At this point, it’s less a bug and more a feature.”

The thief hobbled away in the police’s hands, a distinct hole in the back of his pants.

The rest of the day was eventless. Tensei dropped Izuku at the station before heading home. As soon as the teen was home, Alterna tackled him. Izuku grinned.

“Good to see you too, Alterna. Were you a good boy?”

“_Woof!_”

Inko appeared.

“Welcome back, Sweetie. How was your day?”

“A bit boring. Tensei-san taught us to fill paperwork, but it wasn’t bad.”

“Paperwork is a necessary skill to have for every Hero.” Toshinori grinned from the kitchen. “It’s a good thing Ingenium started with that.”  
Izuku grinned at the man.

“You’re spending the evening with us, Toshi-san? …You’re spending more and more time home. How long until you and Mom tie it?”

Inko almost sputtered before catching herself. Toshinori grinned deviously.

“Hopefully shorter than you think, my boy…”

“Good. Because it’s about time. You’ve been dancing around each other for years.”

Inko and Toshinori looked at one another as the teen went to his room.

“At least, he approves.”

“He always had.”

It was Inko’s turn to grin deviously.

“So… you have plans to ask me out? Now is as good a time as any, and you know me well enough by now to know what I would answer…”

“Oh, but there are ways and means for everything, including asking the woman of your life to marry you. I may know the answer, but I still want to do it in the forms, and this is neither the time nor the place for that, Inko-chan.”

Inko grinned.

“Always the romantic, Toshi-san…”

“And you love me for it.”

Izuku and his friends had agreed to keep quiet until they were back at school. As such, much as he wondered how they were doing, he didn’t call them. They would only call if there was an actual problem. Instead, at Tensei’s request, he sent him an email copy of his Noise list. The Pro would need it for tomorrow.

It was a cheerful evening.

The next day, he almost whooped when Tensei took them on patrol. Tenya was hiding it, but he was equally happy.

“Little Brother and I have our engines to move around. Meanwhile, you have your graffiti limbs. I wonder how fast you go.”

“Pretty fast, though I never calculated the exact speed. But Idaten specializes in mobility and, more than my limbs, I got _wings_.”

He summoned the neon green wings and took flight. Tensei nodded.

“A good alternative. Flight is always an asset. Let’s go.”

Soon, the trio was wandering the streets. Izuku had summoned a Garage Wolf and listened as the Pro explained them the importance of patrolling. On the way, people waved at them and even cheered. A little girl seemed intrigued by the Garage Wolf. Izuku sent it to lick her cheek. The girl giggled.

“Nice doggie!”

“And people used to call them delinquent and creepy…”

It was a refreshing change. His smile remained the whole morning. Tenya noticed it.

“You smiled the whole patrol. What got you in such good mood?”

“People liking my Noises and not calling us delinquent and thugs, for a change. I like it.”

“…Right, you mentioned you had these issues in the past.”

“Hitoshi and I were ostracized because of our so-called villainous Quirks. I befriended him protecting him from bullies. That, and you know Aldera was the result of bullying as well. And now, regular people actually like me and my style. It feels… good. Almost safe. I don’t have to brace myself for jeers and taunts anymore.”

Tenya looked away. Being born from a powerful family of Heroes, he never had this kind of problem. But not everyone was as fortunate as him or even Momo. Izuku was an absolute nightmare once angered but, so long as you didn’t actively provoke him, he was great to have around. His three friends knew it, as did most of the Hero Course students. His previous classmates, though? There was a reason he and Hitoshi had a hobby as bully hunters, and his stronger abilities always seemed to appear when he was in a perilous situation. There was a reason he called them _Threshold Moves_.

That afternoon, Tensei took them to the agency’s gym. The place was oddly huge but, given there were size-shifting members like Enigma in the agency, it was no surprise.

“Alright, here comes the second part of today’s lesson: Quirk improvement. Izuku, I noticed you used your Noises as dummies for Tenya to show off during the Sports Festival. That was a good idea. To what I’ve seen, they have much more versatility than robots.”

“That, they do.” Izuku chuckled.

Tensei frowned.

“The file you sent me was huge, so I only read the big lines. Here is how we are going to proceed: Tenya will learn to use his Engines more efficiently while you will learn to use the right Noises for the right situation. This means I will ask you to summon specific Noises to use as role-focused dummies, and you are going to tell me why you chose it. Then Tenya will fight it and we will see if your analysis is correct.”

Izuku nodded. Tenya cracked his knuckles.

“This is going to be fun…”

Tensei looked at the pair.

“Alright, let’s start with something simple: speed. Tenya, you are going to challenge Izuku’s faster Noises in a race.”

Tenya nodded, engines rumbling softly. Tensei turned to Izuku.

“Now, a racing contest. Which Noises would have the best chances of outrunning Little Brother?”

“Pony Turbo.” Izuku answered instantly. “It is bar none my fastest Noise. I think I once recorded it at 90 km/h. Not enough for a highway, but good enough for regular roads.”

Tensei held the urge to whistle.

“Top speed in our family averages to roughly that, but we hardly achieve it without some form of protection because of how risky it is for our body. Alright, let’s give it a try.”

Izuku nodded and summoned the wind-bending unicorn. It and Tenya stood at the starting line of the track. At Tensei’s signal, both started running. Quickly, the Pony Turbo took the lead. Tenya pushed his engines. Izuku frowned. At a command, the Noise accelerated just enough to go back to first place. It went that way for three laps, Tenya increasing his speed to beat the Noise who went slightly faster to remain ahead. Tensei nodded.

“Not enough to leave him in the dust but enough to spur him onward. Keep going.”

They stopped after the fourth lap, Tenya’s engines finally running dry.

“Endurance is also something we’ll have to work on.” Tensei sternly nodded. “To economize fuel and use it more efficiently is a skill to learn.”

“Understood, _nii-san_.”

Tensei handed him a bottle of orange juice. Tenya gladly chugged it. He turned to Izuku.

“Pony Turbo was a good choice, but it wasn’t the only one. What other Noise could you have used?”

“All the Ponies are pretty fast, and they have the advantage they can be mounted, so anytime quick locomotion is needed, they are the most obvious choice. In that particular case, Rhinos are pretty fast once they get going, and Rabbeats are also fast but are hampered by their small size. However, if we are talking about sheer mobility… that would be the Foxes. They can teleport.”

Tensei gave him a look.

“Teleportation is a deadly skill in the right hands. Can I see one?”

Izuku closed his eyes and hummed Space Oddity. In a flash of static, a green fox with yellow patterns and a gradient green graffiti tail appeared. The fox looked at the trio, curious.

“It’s pretty.” Tenya hummed.

Tensei gave Izuku a nod. The teen gave the Noise several commands. The Psychedelifox started teleporting around while summoning graffiti flames it absorbed to get more tails. Then it shapeshifted into a J-Popguin and a Thrash Mink and used their abilities. Tensei nodded.

“A versatile creature.”

“And Psychedelifox is the weakest of the three. I fought a few times against Ambiefox and Progfox. The trick is to not let them get more tails or they’ll go stronger and gain new abilities. Power-wise, I consider them my second strongest Noises after the Drakes.”

Right, the teen had access to literal graffiti dragons tough enough to challenge Executor Bots. Tenya looked at the Noise, thoughtful. Eventually, he rose from his seat and revved his engines.

“_Nii-san_, Izuku-kun, there is something I want to try.”

“What is it?”

“A technique – No, not a technique, more like a new way to fight. And Izuku-kun’s Noise will be perfect to try it.”

Tensei raised a brow.

“…Alright, you got my curiosity. Could you just explain first? Don’t take it the wrong way but you aren’t exactly the creative kind.”

“It came to my mind during my runs in Shadda’s Crossing.” Tenya frowned. “In places like these, achieving full speed is nigh-impossible because of the shorter streets.”

He glared at the Fox. Izuku gave a single command.

“Maul. Gently.”

The Psychedelifox howled to generate graffiti flames. Tenya braced himself.

“Problem is, speed is the trademark of our family. We got engines in our limbs, so we go fast! But speed isn’t always achievable, especially in narrow places.”

He ran at the Noise, who teleported. Izuku frowned.

“Go for the flames. Gathering flames is how he gets tails.”

Tenya nodded and abruptly changed course to smash the graffiti fires.

“However, speed isn’t the only thing our engines grant us. They grant us strength. Force is Mass times Acceleration. Mass is the engines. Acceleration is the speed they provide.” He turned to the Fox and launched a fick. The Fox teleported. Tenya caught himself. “But speed and strength mean nothing if you can’t _hit your target_.”

He dashed. Tensei and Izuku clearly saw the single burst he fired, just enough to close the distance without overshooting it. The Noise teleported and howled to generate a flame. Tenya back-kicked it before running without his engines. Tensei raised a brow. The Fox shapeshifted into a J-Popguin… At the last moment, Tenya fired his engines once to jump and struck the Noise in the face. From there, his strategy was obvious. Instead of long dashes to out-speed, he focused on a more maneuverable style that relied on short bursts for strength and accuracy. As Izuku belatedly noted, it also had the effect of saving fuel.

“Shadda’s Crossing isn’t the only thing that gave you the idea.” Tensei frowned. “Some of your moves look like breakdancing.”

Tenya dispelled the Fox with one final kick.

“Much as I dislike the music, the dance itself has its appeal, especially when you’re relying on kicks. Denki-kun was another inspiration. The last is all the times I overshot my targets or my speed was used against me. Redirecting moves is a martial art in itself and I’d rather not fall prey to it.”

Tensei nodded.

“It’s true that our family has a noted tendency to rely on speed. There’s also the fact the Iidas have been Pros for three generations, now. People are starting to wise-up to our tricks, no matter how we improve them. A bit of novelty can’t hurt.” A grin crossed his face. “On the other hand, some of the techniques you’ve come with, especially the shorter bursts, are the basis for more advanced techniques you were going to learn later on. Looks like I’ll have to up my schedule…”

Tenya felt himself blush. Izuku grinned. No matter how stoic his friend tried to appear, he was a huge softie inside, and very emotional. He just tried to hide it. The lesson continued, Tensei instructing his little brother on the family techniques while he helped Izuku figure which Noise was best suited for which situation. And if it shifted to music or the Iida family’s many feats, no one cared. Small as they may be, the trivia bits were still interesting.

In the meantime, Toshinori was getting acquainted with some very bad news. It was one thing to learn the “Nomu” monster made to kill him was made from the DNA of four different people with four different Quirks. The worst part, the shriveled man had to admit, was that it actually stood a chance against him. Enhanced strength, regeneration, shock absorption, all good Quirks to have when fighting him. Fortunately for him and unfortunately for the Nomu, it had fought an Apotheosed Hitoshi, whose main weapons were sharp instead of blunt and had a stinger that induced cramps. There went super strength and shock absorption. As for regeneration, it didn’t cover the brain, which had been the teen’s final target.

“Still, four different Quirks showing in one person is way too rare to be an accident. Someone bioengineered this creature, and the only person we know who can give Quirks is _him_.” Tsukauchi winced. “Your counterpart. Best case scenario, this is actually an accident and we’re being paranoid. Worst case scenario: he is actually involved and slowly preparing to come back. We also ran DNA tests on the hand found on the scene. What we found… We may be jumping to conclusion, but it makes second option more likely.”

“What did you find?” Toshinori asked softly.

“The DNA of the hand gave one correspondence, incomplete. This kind of correspondence indicates the owner is related to that person, close enough to be either a child or a first cousin at worst. The correspondence… I’m sorry, Toshinori. The correspondence was your former mentor, Nana Shimura. The owner of the hand was either her son or her nephew.”

Toshinori felt like he was punched in the gut. Tuskauchi hesitated. For a moment, he thought of keeping the rest of the analysis to himself. His friend gritted his teeth and looked him in the eyes.

“This isn’t the only thing you found, right?”

“No. According to eyewitness, the villain, Shigaraki, called the hand _Father_ and was quite insistent on getting it back. We have several hypotheses, more than a few involving some parts of insanity, but one of the likelier paints an ugly picture: we know that Shigaraki’s Quirk induces disintegration. We also know that Quirks manifest young and are hard to control. One of the hypotheses… is that the hand actually belongs to Shigaraki’s father, who fell victim to his son’s uncontrolled Quirk when it manifested.

Putting two and two together was easy. Toshinori held back the urge to throw up.

“If your hypothesis is correct, then knowing the hand belongs to Nana’s son or nephew… it means Shigaraki is related to Sensei more or less directly. And they are with the villains. At worst, they are working with _him_… God. If this is true, this is a nightmare.”

Tsukauchi closed his eyes.

“This is just a hypothesis, you know? We could be wrong. It’s just that this one scenario is unfortunately one of the likelier so we considered it. But nothing says it’s true. The only way to be sure would be to get some of Shigaraki’s DNA to confirm the relation. Not gonna be an easy task…”

But still, it was an option. A nightmarish option that left a bitter taste in the Symbol of Peace’s mouth.

* * *

At last ! This chapter is shorter than the others, but it wasn't easy to write at all. Izuku and Tenya's training with Tensei was especially difficult.

And, after more than a few chapters, the hand snatched during the USJ makes a return. Now, you know why it was taken.


	17. A Stain on empathy

Third day of Workplace Training was comprised entirely of patrolling. Neither Izuku nor Tenya argued. It was interesting, and they even got to stop a few petty thefts with the help of the teen’s Garage Wolf. For the most part, though, it was quiet. Izuku could still sense Tensei was tense.

“What’s going on, Sensei?”

Tensei smiled at the honorific.

“Stain is in Hosu. I am worried we could meet him.”

“Right.” The teen grumbled. “He got Haneko-san during the Sports Festival. Michiro-sensei was very distraught. I’ve seen him a few times after the Festival and I’ve never seen him so upset before. I’m glad his wife lived. Less that she was paralyzed from the waist down.”

“You don’t say.” Tensei grumbled. “White Swan may be a sidekick, but she was still a respected member of Idaten. I wouldn’t have forgiven myself if she died. And she has a family on top of that, a caring husband and a lovely daughter. What Stain did was unforgivable.”

Tenya and Izuku wholeheartedly agreed.

“My blood is boiling just thinking about it.” Izuku admitted. “When people I care for get hurt, it makes me want to do bad things. To be violent. To make… To make the culprit suffer as they suffered. Hopefully, this way, they don’t do it again.”

“Like you did with Bakugo.”

“…Yeah. Though I admit I went overboard that one time. I’ll try to restrain myself if we meet Stain. What’s his Quirk, anyway?”

Tensei frowned.

“After he sent White Swan to the hospital, I called some old friends, the Naruhata Vigilantes. One of them, Knuckle Duster, has fought Stain in the past. According to him, Stain gains the ability to paralyze anyone whom he drinks the blood.”

Izuku hummed.

“My Noises don’t bleed.”

“No, but you do… Wait, your Apotheosed form has Noise anatomy, and even when it bleeds, it’s _static_ that comes from the wound. I remember seeing it after you survived Todoroki’s attack.”

Izuku nodded. Tensei grimaced under his helm.

“I don’t like it. You’re strong, but Stain is _skilled_. Seventeen Heroes died by his hand and he crippled twenty-three more. Some were fairly high in ranking, including Takeshita and the 15th Ranked Whale Hero Isana. You’re just an U.A. student.”

“I know, but Apotheosis tremendously empowers me. I still don’t have precise numbers but they have to be high. Even if Stain’s blades work on me, his Quirk will be useless, and his strength is the result of sheer training.” The teen hesitated. “But we’re talking about Stain and we’re not even sure we’re going to meet him. Do you mind if we change subject? It’s giving me dark thoughts and I don’t like it.”

Tenya smiled.

“Of course, someone good-natured like you wouldn’t be at ease with somber thoughts. That’s why you apologized after the Sports Festival. So… I overheard you and your friends talk about a festival at Coruscant Ward. What is it about?”

“Oh, the Urban Festival? It’s a bi-yearly festival about street culture. Just about everything related to urban culture is displayed there, from art to sport and just about everything you can think of. Hitoshi, Kyoka, Denki and I are going to participate.”

“How so?”

Izuku shuffled nervously.

“Well… Kyoka’s parents are musicians and she wants to become a singer along with being a Hero. So, to help her develop her skills, we picked instruments ourselves and… wekindabecameaband.”

“Sorry, what?”

“We kinda, sorta became an indie band.” Izuku grimaced, clearly embarrassed. “We do it for fun and so Kyoka can practice. Denki got good ideas for songs and we end up singing them more often than not, and I wrote a handful too. Otherwise, we make our own remixes. Kyoka taught me to play the bass. She plays it too, along with providing the vocals. I sometimes provide them too when male vocals are required but, really, Kyoka does most of the singing. Denki plays the electric guitar and Hitoshi is really good with a keyboard, and Michiro-sensei often joins us on the drums.”

Even Tensei turned to that.

“You and your friends are a band? You never mentioned any of it before.”

“We tend to keep this fact to ourselves. As I said, we do it for fun. We’re amateurs. But we always enjoy those times, and Hitoshi always gets a little excited when we play. I think he likes playing the keyboard as much as he likes free-running. But he’ll never admit it.”

Tenya smiled warmly.

“I’d love to hear some of your work.”

“Well, we’re going to perform at the Urban Festival. I’m a bit nervous… but Toshi-san is taking Mom for a date, so we _have_ to give it our best. For them. I want to give them the greatest date ever.”

The Iida brothers looked at one another.

“When is it?”

“In two weeks. We’re going to perform not next Saturday but the one after.”

Well, it seemed Tenya and Tensei knew where they were spending that particular week-end. Their patrol took them by Endeavor and Hawks. Izuku tried not to glare. What Shoto had told him had made his blood boil, and he had to admit he so dearly wanted to spit a few painful truths to the Pro’s face. He didn’t, choosing to remain quiet instead. Endeavor frowned.

“Ingenium. What brings you around?”

“Patrol as usual.” Tensei shrugged. “And, if I’m lucky, catching and stopping Stain.”

Endeavor huffed.

“I came here for the same reason, and Hawks insisted to tag along. Ingenium, stay out of my way. I am more skilled than you are so, if you meet Stain, come back to me. I’ll deal with him.”

Izuku glared under his goggles. He edged toward Tenya.

“He makes me think of a grown-up Bakugo.”

Tenya winced. Izuku’s words felt like an insult and were probably one. In any case, it wasn’t flattering, and much as he could respect Endeavor’s seniority, he didn’t like his brother being belittled like that. Tensei shrugged.

“I’m not worried. Volvo and I are fast, and Tag has a few tricks in his bag that are bound to give Stain a hard time.”

Then Endeavor noticed the Garage Wolf. The ardent Hero frowned deeply.

“The monster-summoning boy… I remember you. I heard what you said to Shoto during your match. Thanks to your actions, he used his fire for the first time. You have my thanks for that, if anything. But I still disapprove of the rest. I made Shoto to surpass All Might. His fire is mine, and his ice comes from his mother. He is my creat –”

“Finish that sentence and I’ll send you to the emergencies.”

Every Hero froze as Izuku, in partial Apotheosis, put a claw right on Endeavor’s chest. The teen snarled, and both Hawks and Tensei prepared to fight as Tenya wisely moved away.

“Listen to me, _Endeawhore_: Shoto told me everything about his upbringing. All the pain, all the torment, all the sorrow, he hid absolutely nothing from me, and I’m still wondering how you can be a Pro despite being such a massive domestic abuser. Seriously, training your eldest son until he dies in an accident? Driving your wife crazy after marrying her just so you could have a kid with the right Quirk? Training Shoto until he was emotionally numb? Why the Hell are you a Hero!? Let’s make one thing clear: if I hear Shoto complain about you just one more time, I’m dealing with you _permanently_. You’ve seen what I did to Bakugo and you know why. And I did it without a Quirk. So, _back off_. Last warning.”

He finally moved away, but his transformed limbs still remained. Tensei breathed in relief, glad a fight had been adverted. Hawks blinked once, twice. Then he turned to Endeavor.

“What he said, how much of it is true?”

Before Endeavor could answer, someone else did.

“All of it. And you can trust him because _I_ told him.”

Everyone turned to see Shoto and Gran Torino walking to the group. The Garage Wolf went to the teen and begged for caresses that were happily provided. Endeavor frowned.

“Shoto, why?”

“Because Midoriya is the very first person who was nice to me outside Mom and Sis. When I told him what you’ve done, he hugged me and told me it was fine. No one else did it before. I trust Midoriya’s kindness. And I trust him to tear apart anyone trying to hurt us.”

“As for me, I can trust your son’s reluctance to use his fire and the scar on his face.” Gran Torino frowned. “I can trust his behavior, and they tell a very ugly story, Enji. Graffiti Boy has a point: if half of what your son admitted is true – because he told me as well, believe it – then you could face serious charges for abuse.”

Endeavor grit his teeth.

“…Point taken. But we will discuss about it later. Right now, I am hoping to catch Stain.”

“Me as well.” Tensei frowned.

“It’s not really what I’m here for but we’ll help you if needed.” Gran Torino nodded.

Hawks shrugged.

“I made a request for one of Class 1-A’s kids because I wanted to know more about what happened at the USJ, to see how much they knew about the League of Villains. Unfortunately, the kid I had in sight went somewhere else. Guess I’ll have to settle on asking.”

Izuku grimaced.

“I was out for most of the incident. The move I used always leaves me unconscious.”

“Iida and I were guarding him, but we still witnessed the fights.” Shoto reassured. “If you want information, we’ll give you once patrolling is over.”

“Works for me.”

As they discussed, Gran Torino watched Izuku.

‘_So, this is the kid you’ve chosen as your heir, Toshinori. His heart is in the right place, I’ll give him that, but he sounds much fiercer than you are._’

Izuku summoned a blue-shaded Cool Bat.

“Their ears are the keenest out of all my Noises. If we’re looking for someone, between my Wolf’s nose and their ears, we should be able to find them.”

He was right. It took the Bat all of ten seconds to spot trouble. It started squeaking insistently, making back-and-forth toward an alley. The group decided to go there. What they found almost made them freeze.

Stain was indeed there, and he wasn’t alone. A Hero Tensei recognized as Native was bleeding slowly on the wall, and Manual was collapsed on the ground, unmoving but conscious. A teen was also there that Izuku recognized as Sen Kaibara. The student was completely paralyzed and standing behind Manual. Izuku tensed, tiny sparks of static dancing on his body.

“Good job, Tag.” Tensei frowned. “Now, what happened there?”

Stain turned to the group, removed his sword from Native’s side and gave them a look.

“Well, what do we got? Endeavor, Ingenium and Hawks. Three more false Heroes come to feed my blades. I wonder… which shall I kill and which shall I cripple?”

“How about none!?”

Before Stain could react, the Cool Bat flew straight at his face and harassed him. The Garage Wolf tugged Sen’s shirt, finally snapping him. The teen looked at the Noise and collapsed on his knees to hug it as tight as he could. The Heroes noticed he was sobbing hard. Gran Torino frowned deeply.

“I’ll take Manual and Native to the emergencies. Kid, can you move?”

“I-I think.”

“Then come with me. If you stay there, you’ll just be in the way.”

Sen didn’t argue. He still gave the Garage Wolf a longing look that Izuku noticed.

“Go with him.” He told the Wolf. “Protect him. Comfort him.”

The Wolf _woofed_ and galloped at the teen’s side. Hawks watched them leave.

“Let me guess, fuzz therapy?”

“Also.”

Izuku turned to Stain, who had finally gotten rid of the Cool Bat with a solid swing. He stepped before the Heroes, limbs transformed. Stain gave him a haughty look.

“Clever, to use your monster to distract me while the elder takes my targets away. You are young… I wonder what kind of Heroes you’ll become: one who rescues others, putting their safety before yours or one who acts only in self-interest, a money-worshipper relishing in his fame? Too early to tell… which is why you shall be spared. But the others… Endeavor, who basks in his fame like he basks in his flames and walks the path of Heroism to satisfy his own ambitions… Hawks, who became a Hero merely for the adoration and the money. What is it you said once? _I want to make a society where Heroes can enjoy a little boredom_. Despicable… And Ingenium, who employs so many sidekicks! So many people to help him, to support him, to pamper him…! Where would you be without them? So weak… you are so weak… But you came, at least. I get it was because of White Swan. She sent a good message… and made a good bait.”

“Shut up.”

Tensei, Tenya and Shoto both froze, and even Endeavor frowned. All of them had been at the Sports Festival and all of them remembered Izuku’s fight with Bakugo. The teen’s tone was the same he’d used before pounding his bully in the ground. Tensei took a step back, imitated by everyone else. Stain was in massive trouble.

“Stain.” Izuku said quietly. “Just shut up. I was already going to deal with you, but you just made it _very_ personal. Don’t aggravate your case.”

Stain huffed.

“And here I thought you could be a Hero who rescues. I see in your eyes… Those are the eyes of an avenger. You are a Hero for vengeance… unworthy of the title. None of you are worthy! Only All Might is worthy… of being called a Hero. He is a true Hero! A true, selfless Hero who rescues others, saves them for the sake of safety itself… instead of expecting fame or wealth. A powerful Hero, standing on his own strength… lighting the way… None of you compare. All of you, even you, boy… are nothing but fakes.”

“Who are you to say that, Stain? Tell me, what gives you the right?”

Izuku wasn’t quivering, but standing dead still instead. Static was dancing all over his body and on the floor and the walls, tainting them with neon red, acidic green, steely grey and the deepest shade of black. Though the teen was calm outside, the shifting colors displayed his true emotions: fury, unbridled and cold. Pain, keen and sharp. Hatred, deep and boiling. At that moment, Izuku loathed Stain with every fiber of his being.

Shoto belatedly noticed Hawks had taken his phone to record the scene. Izuku spoke.

“Tell me, Stain, who let you decide who deserves to be a Hero? Who gave you the right to judge their motives? Who gave you this sword and told you to go after the people protecting us?”

“No one. I alone decide –”

“What I thought. This is your doing alone. This is all in your head. Alright, Stain. I will let you in on a little secret… You go after Heroes because none of them compare to All Might. If that’s so, you will have to go after _every single Hero in Japan_. Because none of them compares to All Might. No one does, and no one can. All Might is more than a Hero. He is a _Symbol_, the Symbol of Peace. None of us can be like him. All we can do is walk in his shadow and hope to emulate him, somehow. So, if you are going after Heroes because they don’t compare to All Might, I got bad news for you.”

Stain froze. Izuku spoke again, and the criminal didn’t say a word.

“You see, the thing with Heroes is that they are _people_ under their masks. They are men and women with their likes and dislikes, they have families and friends. When you go after a Hero and you take them down, you also take down the person under the mask. You hurt them, and so you hurt the people connected to that person. Because Heroes in and out of costume have people who care about them, and when you hurt a Hero, you also hurt the people close to them. This ability to share the pain is called _empathy_, and this is something you obviously lack.”

Hawks winced.

“Savage.”

“You want an example?” Izuku kept going. “White Swan. More than one of Ingenium’s sidekicks, she is a woman called _Haneko Honda_, who has a husband called _Michiro Honda_ and a daughter called _Eiko Honda_. Eiko loves the feathers on her mother’s body because they are soft and shiny, and Michiro fell in love with her after she beat him in a foot race without a speed Quirk. Her status as Ingenium’s sidekick is the reason he is so close to the Hondas, and Michiro and Ingenium often challenge each other in friendly races in their free time. She loves dancing, and many people love to watch her dance because she is so graceful. White Swan is a person, Stain. And you left her paralyzed from the waist down. Because of that, she will never beat her husband in a foot race again. She will never be able to dance for her friends. Michiro is someone I respect greatly. He taught me free-running, breakdancing and street art. More than All Might, he is my personal Hero, even though he is just a courier who uses his Quirk to go quickly from point A to point B. When he heard you crippled his wife, he fell apart. I have never seen him so sad before. Because you hurt the woman he loved with all his heart. Can you comprehend it, Stain? Can you see how your actions affect those around you? This isn’t just about Heroes’ motivations. This is about everyone hurt by what you’ve done.”

Stain tried to retort something. He really did. Everyone could see his mouth moving as he looked for words. He failed, Izuku’s words proving stronger than his. The teen talked again, and what he said swept away any remain of the criminal’s beliefs.

“Ingenium has a brother who looks up to him, Volvo. Endeavor has children. I don’t know about Hawks, but I’m sure he had someone who cares for him too. I got my mother and my friends. My best friend once threatened to brainwash my biggest bully into jumping from a window. Heroes are _people_, Stain. You cannot put them on the same pedestal as All Might. So, who cares about their reasons for becoming Heroes, so long as they don’t get others hurt?” He glanced pointedly at Endeavor. “You don’t need a reason to help others, this is something anyone can do, even someone as humble as a courier, someone like Michiro-sensei. Fame, money, empathy, it doesn’t matter, nor does it matter whether Heroes work alone or together, so long as they save others. People are people and Heroes are people. I would pity you for failing to understand that, but you made my personal hero cry, and this is something I cannot forgive. Michiro-sensei picked me up when I was at my lowest. He taught me most of what I know. I owe him so much… And you, what did you do?” Izuku was seething. “You almost made him a widow. You are going down, asshole.”

Stain finally managed to speak.

“Boy, do you truly think you have a chance? I have crushed and killed Heroes, before. So long as you bleed, I can –”

“_**APOTHEOSIS!!!**_”

In a flash of static, Izuku transformed. Stain took one solid look at the green graffiti rabbit-man that was glaring murderously at him and threw three of his sharpest knives. One flew to Tensei. Another went for Hawks. The third went for Izuku. The teen snatched the knives and let the third bounce harmlessly on his chest. Dropping one and kicking both fallen knives to Endeavor, he took the last and twisted it in a delicate pretzel. Then he gave the villain a dubious look. The way Stain’s face fell was priceless, and Hawks was particularly happy to have it in the box. Stain wisely decided to turn tail and run. Izuku ran after him. The Heroes looked at one another. Hawks tried not to cackle.

“I am _so_ posting that on HeroTube. I’ll edit the names but I am _definitely_ posting that.”

The group left the alley, but not before Shoto and Tenya gave one last look at the colors splayed where Izuku had stood, engraving in their mind the sharp swirls of red, green, grey and black. They had barely made five steps out that a black humanoid with an exposed brain and several red scars jumped before them. Tenya froze dead in his tracks.

“Oh, you have to be _kidding me!_”

Endeavor turned to him.

“Do you know what it is?”

It was Shoto who gave him an answer as he readied his ice.

“**Nomu.**”

* * *

Sorry for the long wait, I was busy with "An ordinary life". So… yeah, lots of talking in this chapter and not much action. But I really wanted to write the part with Izuku demilishing Stain's ideology. Funny that Izuku would regard All Might as more than a Hero when his true identity is his sort-of father figure...

Also, Takeshita is Indeed Gentle's former classmate, and Isana is based on one of the antagonists from Horikoshi's previous work. Stain is skilled, alright. Against a pissed-off teenage Hero whose Quirk absolutely no-sells his power and is dead set on kicking his ass ? Gonna need more than skill there, buddy.


	18. The measure of their might

Tensei tensed.

“Nomu… Like the creature that attacked USJ?”

“Yes.” Tenya confirmed. “Back then, it could regenerate and absorb blows, and its strength was incredible. Shin – I mean, Manticore got it by demolishing its brain.”

“The brain is its weak spot. Noted. Hawks, Endeavor?”

Shoto reacted first, trapping the monster in an ice prison.

“Manticore may have killed the one at the USJ, but I’d rather avoid that option until I know exactly what they are.”

“Once you know this weakness, regardless its powers, they are easy to take down.” Tenya frowned. “I’m surprised the League hasn’t covered it after the USJ.”

“Either they can’t or they don’t think we will be able to use it.” Endeavor looked at the monster. “But Shoto has a point. Regardless what they are, better save killing them as a last resort.”

More Nomus were roaming around. While they were facing Stain, the League had released three of the creatures to wreak havoc, and the local Heroes were having a hard time, in no small part because they were trying to contain them rather than going for the kill. Shoto looked at his hands.

“This is what I chose to do. My Quirk is my own, regardless of what you say, father. And, when it comes to fighting, ice is much more practical than fire. I prefer to save my left side for more mundane purpose.”

Tensei found it hard to disagree. Endeavor huffed.

“Have you learned nothing from me?”

“Your lessons made a good basis, but I am not you. I use my Quirk as I see fit.”

“Shoto, I raised you to –”

“You heard what Midoriya said, right?”

Endeavor tried not to grimace. If what the green teen had said was true, his ambition was dust in the wind, a folly brought by envy. And it had caused him to badly hurt his family. For what? For an impossible dream? The pill was bitter to swallow, and this was what gave him trouble.

“Fine, let us save this conversation for later. Right now, we need to deal with the Nomus.”

“Contain them. Got it.”

Shoto’s right side oozed with ice.

“One down. How many more?”

Hawks took flight and looked around.

“…There is one by the railroad track. And another… airborne! I’ll handle this one. Who’s going to the tracks?”

“We are.” Endeavor decided. “Any other?”

“No. Those are the only ones I can spot but… Wait, what is that? A mist guy and a hand guy?”

Shoto froze.

“Kurogiri and Shigaraki! The League is there!”

“Damn! I already decided to take on the flying Nomu – Uh!?”

Izuku in his Apotheosed form leaped on a rooftop and tackled a running Stain, knocking him with a solid blow to the head. The flying Nomu saw him and dived at the teen. Izuku reacted on instinct, grabbing Stain by the leg and using the villain as an improvised club. Hawks’ face was priceless.

“Ingenium? Try teaching that kid restrain. He just used Stain to club the flying Nomu.”

Tensei choked.

“He what!?”

“You heard me.”

Tensei grumbled.

“Noted. I’ll add that to his lessons. How a kid so sweet can be so brutal is beyond me…”

They headed to the railroad tracks. Meanwhile, as he was handling files, Naomasa Tsukauchi received a call from the chief of Hosu’s police, Kenji Tsuragamae.

“Detective Tsukauchi? We have a situation in Hosu. A group of three humanoid monsters are roaming the streets and giving Heroes a hard time.”

“Humanoid monsters? What do they look like?”

“Tall. One is black and muscular, the other two are pale with wings for one and long limbs for the other. All of them have their brain exposed.”

It was this trait that clued him in.

“Nomus! There are Nomus in Hosu!? Listen, officer: those creatures are engineered bioweapons. They are made from human baseline and imbued with a variety of Quirks. One attacked the USJ alongside the League of Villains and strictly obeyed its leader’s orders, so how sentient they are is up the air but believed to be low. For all their strengths, their biggest weakness is their brain. Striking there is guaranteed to kill them.”

Tsuragamae listened, feeling cold sweat run down his back.

“Noted. Does it mean lethal force is allowed? …Yes? Alright, I’ll pass the word.”

His next call was for the Heroes. The moment they got the news, Endeavor let his flames go wild.

“Killing them is allowed? Very well. This is going to greatly simplify things.”

“Good to know they aren’t fully sentient.” Shoto admitted.

The black Nomu had finally broken free of the ice. Endeavor summoned his flames, only for his son to stop him.

“Step back. I got this.”

The Pro fully expected him to use his own fire. Instead, Shoto focused his ice and shaped it in a spear.

“As Gran Torino-sensei rightfully pointed, because I rely so much on my Quirk’s power, I am helpless whenever someone evades my attacks and engages me from up close. I’ve spent the past days using my fire for daily shores and my ice to create weapons to fight with.”

Endeavor grumbled but conceded the point. People with powerful elemental Quirks like theirs had a way-too-strong habit to rely on them alone, neglecting their martial prowess. Gran Torino knew it, and had obviously taken steps to make sure his son didn’t make that mistake… A mistake he was partially guilty of. Not that he was bad in CQC himself, but he _did_ rely on his flames first and his fists second.

The Nomu lunged. Shoto moved aside and thrust his spear. The move was clumsy, but the teen was a beginner – and the spear still struck true, impaling the Nomu’s brain. The monster fell like a ragdoll. Gran Torino appeared a moment later.

“Native, Manual and the boy are safe in the hospital. I got the message concerning the Nomus.”

“Good. We just got one.”

The elder Hero looked at the creature. Shoto’s spear was still embedded in its head.

“Took my lessons seriously, did you? Good. What about the others?”

A roar made them all turn. The long-limbed Nomu was struggling against Tensei and Tenya, trying to swat them away as the two brothers danced around it, landing kick after punch on its body while dodging its swipes. Hawks was flying a little above, trying to nail its brain with his feathers. The moment the Nomu’s tongue struck and spread like a web, the winged Pro cut it. The Nomu reared. Tenya didn’t lose a beat, jumping with a burst and delivering a kick in the brain with another. The Nomu fell and didn’t rise.

“Phew! Two down.”

“Now, only the winged one remains.” Hawks frowned. “Last time I saw it, Tag was clubbing it with Stain.”

Gran Torino gave him a weird look.

“Why would the brat do that?”

“What about Shigaraki and Kurogiri?” Shoto asked.

Hawks frowned and narrowed his eyes.

“Still watching. Do you want me to go after them?”

“Keep watching them for now.” Endeavor frowned.

Tenya looked worried under his helm.

“Kurogiri is a teleporter. He can use his whole body to create a portal. Shigaraki will decay anything he touches. If you’re targeting them, be cautious.”

“Uh, deadly combo indeed.” Hawks winced. “Noted. I’ll stick to watching them for the time being.”

They barely waited a minute before Izuku and the winged Nomu finally came their way. The transformed teen was still wielding Stain like a weapon, flinging him around effortlessly as he battled the Nomu. The trio landed in a pile that rolled on the pavement, the Nomu snarling a storm while Izuku was dead silent and Stain was completely unconscious. Hawks and Gran Torino reacted at the same time, snatching the villain from the teen’s claws.

“Sorry kid, but if you keep going, you’re going to kill him.”

Izuku barely acknowledged the loss of his weapon. If anything, he simply used all four sets of claws to hack at the Nomu, leaving long bleeding gashes in its body. After a particularly vicious bit of struggling, he managed to get on top of the Nomu and dive his claws deep in his brain. Static sizzled and he was back to partial Apotheosis.

“_**Not even!**_”

Endeavor shook his head.

“And three down. Hawks?”

The winged Pro turned to Shigaraki and Kurogiri. He saw them watch the scene for a moment before vanishing.

“Gone. They just left.

“Well, at least we got the three Nomus.” Tensei shrugged.

He turned to Izuku, who was slowly calming down. The teen still looked fairly rattled, teeth bared and hunched as if he wanted to pounce. It was only after he looked around and comprehended the scene that he let himself relax. Seeing Stain and the winged Nomu made him shrink where he stood.

“So… looks like it’s not just my Noises who are bound to intent.”

Tenya removed his helmet.

“I still find it disturbing that someone as sweet as you could have such bouts of blinding fury.”

“I don’t like them either.” Izuku admitted. “But Stain really angered me, and it got in my head when I Apotheosed.” He turned to the Pros. “Sorry about the violence. I’d told myself I would try to hold back, but…”

“Your Noises do what you summon them to.” Shoto reminded. “And you said Apotheosis is bound to your intent the same way. If you Apotheose to fight, especially if you are in a foul mood, I’m not surprised you stop holding back.”

“Yeah. On the other hand, there’s a reason I save these as a last resort. I just… kinda underestimated how much Stain would anger me. I didn’t mean to be so brutal. I’m sorry I was.”

“Your Quirk literally comes with a manual.” Tensei frowned. “On one hand, I’m disappointed you lost control. On the other, you just figured out why, and it’s due to an unsuspected side-effect of your Quirk. Hopefully, there won’t be a repeat.”

“Yeah, hopefully…”

Cleanup was a tedious affair. Fortunately, the Heroes were allowed to take a break. They gathered in the hospital where Native, Manual and Sen Kaibara were resting. The Garage Wolf happily barked at Izuku before returning at the teen’s side. Sen seemed distraught, and Izuku was barely better, though he tried to hide it. To distract himself, he picked a rather melodic metal track and played it full volume in his ears, quietly headbanging in a corner. Tenya could almost hear the music if he focused.

“Kid, you’ll drive yourself deaf if you keep listening to music that loud.” Hawks chided.

“Not gonna happen. There’s already music coming from inside my head. I couldn’t go deaf even if my ears were damaged.”

“He needs the music.” Sen said softly. “Neito tried to copy his Quirk once. The cacophony was so loud he was screaming moments later.”

Hawks went very still.

“Damn, some Quirks have a helluva drawback…”

“You don’t say!”

Sen looked at the group.

“So… you got Stain?”

“I did.” Izuku winced. “Turns out Apotheosis is influenced by my intent. If I transform to train, I’ll be normal. If I transform to fight, I will stop holding back, and it will be even worse if I’m in a foul mood. And Stain massively got on my nerves with his speech.”

“End result, a beating worse than what Bakugo got in the Sports Festival.” Tenya shuddered. “I still can’t believe you used him as a weapon.”

“That Nomu was coming at me and I was holding him already! …Alright, that was probably overkill. I hope he survives.”

Sen snorted.

“It’s already a more-or-less unofficial rule in U.A. that you never mess with Midoriya unless you feel suicidal. He is one of the sweetest guys in the whole school, but get on his bad side and there’s about 50% chances he’ll lose control of his Quirk and kick your ass. Tokage’s words, not mine.”

Setsuna Tokage, Izuku remembered. One of Class 1-B’s students and a recommended one. Smart and confident with a mischievous streak. Seeing as he wasn’t feeling good,

Tenya decided to change the subject.

“Before we stumbled upon Endeavor, you were talking about the Urban Festival. You said you and your friends were gonna perform there.”

Sen perked.

“The Urban Festival? You’re going too?”

“You too?”

“Yeah, I brought a brand-new camera just so I could record the event. I like going there. The art is amazing and the ambiance is great.”

The conversation went from there, the adults half-listening and grateful their wards could properly relax.

The news came the next day: Stain would survive, no matter how banged he had been after Izuku used him as a club. Tensei took full responsibility for the teen’s actions, Hawks and Endeavor backing him. Officially, he had ordered Izuku to go after Stain given how efficiently his Quirk countered the villain. Unofficially, he had said nothing of the likes. He had, however, done nothing to stop the teen either, and it didn’t help at all that one of Stain’s victims was one of his sidekicks. He didn’t let Izuku’s behavior slide, though.

One entire afternoon was spent testing the full power of Apotheosis. The results left everyone in Idaten speechless.

Maximum weight lift: 5t  
Maximum running speed: 90km/h  
Maximum flight speed: 200 km/h  
Durability: can endure up to 1000 °C; unharmed by anything smaller than 30 mm caliber

The list went on. In Apotheosis, Izuku was definitely in the upper tier strength-wise. He didn’t match All Might, but he could effortlessly match black-skinned Nomus. And, unlike them, he had no obvious weakness. As promised, Tensei’s lessons included when and how it was fine to cut loose. The answer was “not often”. Fortunately, Izuku already saved Apotheosis and Cacophony for do-or-die.

It just so happened that his definition of do-or-die included his friends’ lives on the line. The moment the teen’s friends were involved, all bets were off. This was, in Tensei’s opinion, the lessons Izuku had the hardest time learning: just because his friends were in trouble didn’t mean he had to start humming _BFG Division_. Too bad they had only one week together…

/\/\/\  
\/\/\/

Aizawa watched the alley below. A handful of thugs from a minor gang had gathered, and he and his intern were about to bust them all. He turned to Hitoshi, who was crouching nearby. He was standing perfectly still, graffiti legs in a squat while his stinger tail was wrapped around the chimney he was on, graffiti arms gripping the edge. With his wings carefully folded in his back, Manticore looked like a purple and metallic gargoyle.

At his signal, the teen pounced. Two thugs were tackled while another took his stinger in the knee. The other two were taken a moment later by Eraserhead. The ambush had lasted less than five seconds.

/\/\/\  
\/\/\/

“_Hello, Mustafu! This is Breakbeat!_”

“_And Soundwave!_”

“_Together with your favorite host: Present Mic! Tonight, we are on the air and in the waves, bringing you the word of the street and the sweet, sweet music!_”

Present Mic watched with pride as Denki and Kyoka entertained the audience. The pair had taken to radio hosting like fishes to water, helped by Denki’s naturally outgoing personality and Kyoka’s skills as a DJ. All he’d had to do was showing them how to play with the crowd.

‘_If they follow this path, I am going to have concurrence… and I’m looking forward to it!_’

/\/\/\  
\/\/\/

Tokoyami and Kuroiro dragged themselves to the infirmary, Yamiyo one step behind.

“I knew your partner got stronger in darkness, but I didn’t think it would be that uncontrollable! Thank god Ventablack managed to wrest control!”

“I apologize, Sensei. I didn’t expect your darkness would empower Dark Shadow so badly. But it allowed us to figure how far Ventablack’s ability went, so I guess all is not lost.”

“Next time, add a goddamn flashlight to your costume!” Kuroiro almost shrieked. “Your partner was less a monster and more a living force of nature! I got a headache just thinking of our fight…”

“I do believe it was one of the items Mei promised to make.”

A little away, Rika shook her head.

“Next time I say it’s a bad idea, are you gonna listen, or…”

“Don’t worry, lesson learned for everyone.”

/\/\/\  
\/\/\/

Momo looked at the commercial and sighed. Itsuka had a point: the two girls had learned nothing interesting during the whole week, except that Uwabami was more interested by money and fame than heroism.

‘_What a waste._’ She thought bitterly. ‘_What a complete waste._’

/\/\/\  
\/\/\/

Eijiro and Tetsutetsu had been surprised to see the redhead’s father pick them up at Fourth Kind’s agency. They didn’t worry, though. Spending time at the other’s place had become a common habit. However, that evening, Gouhada Kirishima had picked the two boys for a reason. By the time dinner was over and he was done explaining, Eijiro and Tetsutetsu could barely believe it.

“So… not only are we cousins, we’re also half-bros?”

“I was honestly not expecting Shirogane and Kireishi to both fall pregnant, or that they would come to term the same day. It came as a surprise for everyone! To think all I wanted was a threesome with those cute twins…”

Kireishi chuckled.

“You got more than you bargained on this one, Honey. Still, I’m glad Eijiro and Tetsutetsu got along so well, especially since they didn’t know how they were related.”

“We started calling each-other Bro the moment we realized how similar we were.” Eijiro mused. “Figures the reason would be that we’re actually half-bros!”

Tetsutetsu laughed.

“Blood’s thicker than water, Bro! I’m glad we’re actually related – and twice over at that!”

“Right, we’re not just bros but cousins too. Mineta’s gonna have a fit when he heard about that.”

“It also explains why Dad’s never around.” The steel-skinned teen grumbled. “He knows I’m not his kid, right?”

“Unfortunately.” Gouhada winced.

The two brothers looked at one another. Then…

“Who’s the oldest?”

“If my memory serves me…” Kireishi hummed. “I think it’s Tetsutetsu. By ten minutes.”

The two brothers laughed and immediately started ribbing the other.

/\/\/\  
\/\/\/

_IngeniousEngineman joined the group chat: First Class._

Saturday, 21:03

**IngeniousEngineman**

Hello, everyone. As you know, there is an event called the Urban Festival next Saturday and Izuku-kun and his friends are participating. To what I heard, he, Hitoshi-kun, Denki-kun and Kyoka-kun formed a band with Michiro-sensei and intend to perform. My brother and I plan to go while Todoroki-kun intends to take his mother and siblings there, and Sen Kaibara is also going to record the event. I was wondering how many of us would be interested.

**RibbitInTheRain**

You’re still making walls of text, Tenya.  
Bah, that’s how you are.  
Izuku and his friends are a band!?  
I had no idea! That’s it, I’m going.  
Maybe take Satsuki and Samidare along.

**GravityGrrl**

You tell me Izuku & you tell me band,  
Gonna go for sure! Sign me!

**FeistyFisticuffs**

I heard about it too.  
I had plans to go, but  
I didn’t think you guys would be going too.  
I’ll probably take Yui along.

**TwinkleLittleStar**

This kind of festival is  
A bit too plebeian to my taste,  
But Midoriya and his friends are participating.  
I will come, this is what friends do.

**TheNewColossus**

Eijibro and I were gonna go too.  
Been there before. It’s always a good time!  
Good to see we won’t be the only ones from Class 1!

**AllScaledUp**

I’m going too!

**DuctTapeForAll**

Me too!

**MuckinInTheMud**

Me too!

**MultiArmedAndDangerous**

Me too!

**CausticInfluence**

Save me a spot!

**CautiousCopycat**

I will come as well, if only to hear Midoriya singing.  
I can’t believe he does by the way.  
Just how many talents does he have?

**IngeniousEngineman**

Plenty. In any case, I am pleasantly surprised so many of us want to participate. I got an idea… Itsuka-kun, I will need your help for that. Neito-kun, you get along fairly well with Vlad-sensei, right? I will need your help.

**CautiousCopycat**

What’s the plan?

**IngeniousEngineman**

Well…

* * *

For information, _BFG Division_ is Doom Metal music. Izuku uses it to summon Doom Metal Drakes. Having a Threshold is all fine and dandy, but "My friends are in trouble" sounds a little low, don't you think…?

That aside, I plan to update this fic and An ordinary life roughly at the same time since they equally matter to me. Don't be surprised by the delays.


	19. Interlude: His own worst enemy

Bakugo was none too keen on the idea of working with Best Jeanist, but the Pro had a reputation and one good thing about the teen was that, when he had a problem, he dealt with it. Right now, his problem was his fierce temper and entitlement issues. Hopefully, Best Jeanist could show him how to curb them because he had zero idea how to do it himself, at least for the temper. The entitlement… was a different story.

Even with Recovery Girl’s help, his nose was still slightly crooked. It didn’t bother him, and that was good because he wanted to keep it that way as a reminder. A reminder that even the sweetest persons will turn into demons when pushed far enough. He had heard the conversations, afterward. Izuku’s fury had terrified everyone. Someone as sweet as Deku suddenly snapping was a sight that shook you. It had broken something in him, a core pillar of his being that had left him almost catatonic.

“_You call yourself a Hero but all you do is hurting people! You don’t care about anyone, only yourself! How many suffered because of your ambitions!? How many did you scorn in your pride!?_”

Izuku had hammered these words in his head with his fists. The people he hurt had people who cared about them, and these people suffered when he beat those they were close to. Empathy. A trait he sorely lacked, but that his favorite target had more than enough to spare. So, once he was out of Recovery Girl’s hands, he had tried to play nice. First, no nickname. He used people’s last names and stuck to it. Next, if he was going to criticize, give valid reasons for it. If he didn’t like something about someone, he kept his mouth shut and vented once he was away and alone. Less risk of collateral damage.

But those were only the first steps. To become a better person, he needed a professional. And Best Jeanist felt like a good idea.

He was right. Although Best Jeanist’s greeting was tepid to say the least, Bakugo was honest and straightforward – often painfully so. When the Pro stated he had chosen the teen with the intent to reform him, the answer he got took him by surprise.

“Good. That’s why I’m there.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I don’t need anyone to show me how to use my Quirk, that’s something I can do myself. My problem’s there.” He tapped his head. “I got a shitty temper and I need tips to curb it, because I can’t figure out how to do it myself.”

“It’s true that your fiery temper is one of your problems. The other is your abrasive personality. Simply put, you are a jerk.”

“Nothing new. I’m working on it. Gonna take time, but I’m trying.”

Best Jeanist quietly nodded.

“You’re willing to change. That’s a good start… I see your nose is crooked. Why didn’t you get it fixed?”

“Couldn’t at the moment, and it doesn’t bother me so I don’t want to. I keep it as a reminder: even the sweetest guys can snap.”

Best Jeanist was going to argue about the image, but he understood the teen. How many heroes refused to have some scars treated because of the memories bound to them? Bakugo crossed his arms.

“Fair warning: I’m seeing a shrink to deal with an issue, so I know how these guys work. I don’t expect you to change me in a week, but I do hope I’ll get pointers. When I got a problem, I deal with it. Now, I need to deal with my temper.

The tidbit caught Best Jeanist by surprise.

“You’re seeing a therapist? What for?”

“Demophobia. Fear of crowds. It’s pretty much gone, now, but seeing De – Midoriya use his Cacophony move and swarm the place with monsters still freaks the hell outta me. Gives me flashbacks of Aldera.”

Best Jeanist froze.

“I was there. Me, Edgeshot and All Might. I remember thinking those monsters were the worst possible opponents for me. I am… glad your former classmate learned to control that ability. This move is a nightmare.”

“De – Midoriya calls it a Threshold Move, one he saves for life-or-death.”

“Interesting… and wise. By the way, that’s the second time you’re correcting yourself when saying his name.”

“I got the habit of calling people nicknames. Midoriya is Deku, Shinso is Droopy Eyes, Iida is Four Eyes, Uraraka is Round Face… I’m trying to get rid of the habit.”

“A good start. But why are you doing it in the first place? To better remember them?”

Bakugo didn’t answer immediately.

“…No. Because they don’t matter to me. At least… they didn’t. But Deku hammered the point home with his fucking fists: when you hurt someone, their loved ones get mad. And some can and _will_ fuck you up over it.”

Best Jeanist’s eyes narrowed.

“You wouldn’t happen to have some entitlement issues, by any chance?”

“Not any-_fucking_-more! D – Midoriya’s fists broke them the fuck down! Damn, my face aches just thinking about it!”

Broken pride. The Pro was starting to have a pretty good picture of the teen. Originally, he had taken him in with the intent to reform him, but the process was one Bakugo was already trying to undertake, much to his surprise. He could work with that. In fact, the teen’s willingness might smooth the process greatly. Bakugo had outright stated he had come to him for help.

He would get it.

Their first patrol was fairly boring. The teen remained silent, almost sullen the whole trip. To the few people they helped, he gave a simple nod. Best Jeanist frowned once they were back.

“You know, an important part of being a Hero is the image we project. People look up to us and see us as role models, which is why we must appear reliable and, well, heroic. The image you project is rather threatening. People won’t feel at ease around you.”

Bakugo huffed, considered and decided to be honest.

“I didn’t become a Hero to preen and pose. I became a Hero because they always win, and since people told me times and times again how I got a cool Quirk and how awesome I was, I thought being a Hero was only natural. I am a winner.”

“Uh oh… I can see where the entitlement issues would come from. Let me guess: no one challenged that point of view during your school years, right?”

“Nope. U.A. was the first time anyone told me I suck.”

“No wonder, then… So, a Hero to win?”

“Yeah, to kick bad guys in the ass. To rise on top, become the Number One Hero. Since I was so awesome, I thought this was what I was meant to be.”

Best Jeanist could feel the sarcasm almost physically. It almost made him snicker.

“Well, flash news: I’m not. D – Midoriya can and has ruined my day before, several times. His best friend threatened to brainwash me into jumping from a window, and that was before he accidentally gained Apotheosis. Ho – Todoroki could set me ablaze with his flames because my sweat is nitric acid. The list goes on. Kaminari nearly fried my brain with his last move. So, me? The best? Not by a long _fucking_ shot.” Bakugo snorted. “I called people pebbles and extras because I thought they were just obstacles on my way to become a Hero. Figures the biggest obstacle would be myself…”

Best Jeanist nodded.

“You acknowledge your shortcomings. Good.”

“When it’s hammered into my head pretty much physically, it’s not like I got a choice.”

True that.

“Still, it doesn’t change the fact your image could use work…”

“_I’m not changing how I look_. Hell no. I’ll listen to what you say but what I got _stays_, or I quit here and now.”

Best Jeanist sighed.

“Alright. Fine. But your temper is going to need a lot of work.”

“As I said, that’s why I’m there.”

Over the next days, it became clear to the Pro that the teen’s temper was a lot like his explosions: wild, burning and destructive. He just kept it under wraps most of times. It was still a good thing that his agency had a robust training room because said temper needed an outlet, and Bakugo always spent half an hour every evening venting and blowing up. Well, at least, he didn’t blow up people’s faces. It didn’t change the fact the method was just a stopgap. The teen needed a more reliable way to control his temper.  
Something struck Best Jeanist. Bakugo’s control of his explosions was genuinely impressive, and their versatility impressed even him. And his temper was like his explosions. The teen was naturally violent, with a seemingly-endless pool of rage. But the thing with rage was that he could be harnessed.

“Why don’t you harness your temper like you harness your Quirk?”

Bakugo made an about turn. Best Jeanist explained.

“Your temper and your explosions are equally volatile, and you repeatedly demonstrated you have impressive control over your explosions. Why don’t you control your temper the same way?”

The penny dropped. From then on, every time, he used his Quirk, Bakugo paid close attention to his mental state, learning to control his temper as he trained his Quirk.

“There is rage and rage.” He explained the Pro. “A lot of people explode and go wild and hot when they are angry. That’s how I usually am. The other kind of anger is cold and sharp as a blade. Focused. Midoriya is usually like that. He was like that at the start of our fight.” The teen balled his fists. “Control your temper like you control your explosions. My anger is an explosion. My explosions are a knife. I need to make my temper like a knife.”

Best Jeanist understood.

“That’s an excellent analogy, and an equally good idea.”

Bakugo huffed.

“I won’t pretend being nice. I don’t think I can do nice. But I can beat people up. Let the other Heroes do PR. While they deal with the press, I’ll deal with the bad guys.”

“…I think you can do nice.” Best Jeanist said softly. “I don’t mean nice as in preen and pose as you said, but you can do _constructive_. You can do caring. You’re honest, painfully so. But you recognize where strength and weakness lie, so your criticism is often on point. You just need to put on the forms. And you don’t need to smile to hand a cup of tea to a disaster victim or a stuffed toy to a crying child.”

Bakugo still had doubts, but he decided to trust the Pro.

They caught echoes of Hosu during the third day, but it was only the fourth that they got anything concrete. First, there was the video Hawks had made of Izuku’s counter-speech to Stain. Bakugo frowned deeply as Best Jeanist mulled over the teen’s words.

“Stain is fucked.”

“Why so?”

“He got Midoriya angry.”

“How can you tell?”

If there was one thing the teen knew well, it was anger. He pointed at the screen.

“Several things. First, his posture. Dead still and with his graffiti limbs out. He’s ready to fight, and that static over his body means he’s at that from shifting into Apotheosis. Then, there’s the tone. That’s the same icy tone he used before our fight at the Sports Festival. Cold anger like a knife. Third, he is losing control of his Quirk, and when Midoriya loses control of his Quirk, ass-kicking _always_ ensues. I mean, I doubt he’s painting the alleyway on purpose…”

Best Jeanist could only agree. Then they saw recordings of the ensuring fight and Bakugo went very, very pale.

“So… guess I got away lightly, then.”

“You are _very_ lucky he decided against using his Quirk on you.”

The teen remained polite and well-behaved for the rest of the day. Naturally, the group chat was on fire that evening.

**LittleMissLizard**

Ok.  
So, first rule of Class 1 is “Thou shall not fuck with the green bean”.

**LittleMissLizard**

Second rule is “Thou shall not fuck with the green bean’s friends.”

**ACrownOfThorns**

Amen.

**RocksteadyRioteer**

Ayup.

**ExplosiveExpert**

No shit, Sherlock…  
Because he kicking my ass during the Sport Festival  
Didn’t make that obvious enough!?

**LittleMissLizard**

Yeah, obviously.  
But he didn’t Apotheose to beat you  
And he didn’t use your sorry ass to beat someone else!

**ExplosiveExpert**

Yeah, I really lucked out on this one.  
Fuck me, I knew Midoriya was deadly in a fight  
But he acted like an out-and-out berserker!  
I watched the vid. Before fighting Stain,  
He lost control. When he loses control of his Quirk,  
He’s about to kick your ass. Told Jeanist as much.

**LittleMissLizard**

Uh? Really? Good to know.  
Too bad a loss of control means mayhem ahead.

**MagicSoundSystem**

Izuku has always struggled to control Graffiti Heart.  
His Quirk has just so many facets, it’s a Swiss-army knife.  
Even today, he’s figuring the ins and outs of it.  
So, naturally, before he does, accidents happen.

**IngeniousEngineman**

I concur. Apparently, Izuku-kun’s Apotheosis is equally tied to his intent and emotional state as his Noises. He undergoes Apotheosis on purpose, generally to train or when his life is on the line but, against Stain, given Stain’s Quirk requires he drink someone’s blood and Apotheosis doesn’t bleed, he transformed to become immune to the villain’s power. Unfortunately, given Stain had thoroughly angered him beforehand…

**LittleMissLizard**

He got a rampaging human Noise with  
A personal beef against him. Sucker.

**ExplosiveExpert**

Wait, let me do some math.  
Midoriya Apotheoses in case of life & death.  
Apotheosis is tied to his intent & mental state.  
So, whenever he Apotheoses, the situation is  
Life-threatening & he’s not in a good place.

**ExplosiveExpert**

Fuck.

**LittleMissLizard**

Yeah. Whatever messed with him is screwed.

**MagicSoundSystem**

There is a reason Izuku saves these moves as a last resort.  
If the situation’s that bad,  
Then maybe turning into a rampaging human Noise  
May not be such a bad idea. I mean, it’s not like it could be worse…

**ACrownOfThorns**

This is indeed likely.

**IngeniousEngineman**

Tensei got a session planned to test how strong Apotheosis exactly is. I’ll keep you updated.

**LittleMissLizard**

Please.  
So we know exactly how dead we are  
If we mess with the green bean.

Tenya posted the testing’s results two days later. Bakugo felt his stomach sink, and even Best Jeanist paled considerably.

“When I said there are people out there who can fuck me up…”

“There is indeed such thing as bullying a dragon.”

“Been there, done that. Aldera.”

“True. But you’re working to lose that habit.”

On the last day of Workplace Training, one of Best Jeanist’s sidekicks was caught red-handed watching a video. Bekugo froze when he heard the music.

“Wait! That’s the track that played during Midoriya and Shinso’s fight!”

He and Best Jeanist turned to the video and watched. It was from a video game called Asura’s Wrath, and the scene was a younger Asura sparring with Yasha. The sound effects had been turned off to leave only the music and the dialogues. Bakugo took hold of the PC and replayed the video while playing a muted recording of Izuku and Hitoshi’s duel next to it.

The video ended, and Bakugo left it to go to a free PC. As it turned, the video had piqued his curiosity and he was looking into the game. Best Jeanist let him. He knew the teen well-enough by then to know when he was working on an issue. He was right. As he watched Bakugo watch videos of the game, he could see the gears turning in the teen’s mind. It was true that his pupil had things in common with the constantly-angry protagonist… who, as it happened, used his rage solely to destroy threats to the world, and was also insanely powerful. Not a bad role model. Bakugo quietly nodded and checked something else on Wikia.

“Looks like I found my alias… _The Explosive Hero, Ashura_. I’ve done some pretty shitty things for the right reasons, but that’s not an excuse so, now, I atone for them. And my temper’s as nasty as the guy in the game.”

“Fitting enough.” Best Jeanist smiled. “Well, good going, _Ashura_.”

Saturday evening came, and with it came Tenya’s idea. Bakugo made a double-take when he read about the band, and starred wide-eyed as the glassy teen explained his plan: to have Class 1A and 1B go and see Izuku and his friends perform at the Urban Festival, but not as a school trip. He wanted it to be a surprise for the four, so it would _just so happen_ that just about _everyone_ in both classes – including Vlad King and Aizawa – was visiting the Festival and stumbled upon the group performing. A fairly contrived coincidence, but coincidence nonetheless, right?

Bakugo sent the invitation to Best Jeanist. As a “Thank You” gift

* * *

So, since this is going to be a long quarantine, here is a new chapter to entertain you. It's a short one, admittedly, but it's just an interlude… dedicated to our favorite blonde bully.

Trivia bits, included what I forgot last chapter:

**IngeniousEngineman**: Tenya Iida. **RibbitInTheRain**: Tsuyu Asui. **GravityGrrl**: Ochako Uraraka. **FeistyFisticuffs**: Itsuka Kendo. **TwinkleLittleStar**: Yuga Aoyama. **TheNewColossus**: Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu. **AllScaledUp**: Hiryu Rin. **DuctTapeForAll**: Hanta Sero. **MuckinInTheMud**: Juzo Honenuki. **MultiArmedAndDangerous**: Mezo Shoji. **CausticInfluence**: Mina Ashido. **CautiousCopycat**: Neito Monoma. **LittleMissLizard**: Setsuna Tokage. **ACrownOfThorns**: Ibara Shiozaki. **RocksteadyRioteer**: Eijiro Kirishima. **ExplosiveExpert**: Katsuki Bakugo. **MagicSoundSystem**: Kyoka Jiro.

Also, the video Bakugo watched can be found [there](https://youtu.be/H_HUwgDMgr0), albeit with sound effects. In Buddhism, Asuras are people who, in their past life, commited crimes to help others/caused bad karma to reap good one. Bakugo in a nutshell, don't you think ?


	20. A thousand-shaded festival

Coming back from Workplace Study was a lively affair. Everyone had stories to tell and was eager to share them.

“So, how exactly did a recovery mission end up with Amelia hollering like a maniac?” Denki asked, genuinely puzzled.

“Well…” Hitoshi held his snicker. “I’m not allowed to give you the details, but it involved a laser pointer, a clutter of cats, a drugged pizza and a stolen server.”

Kyoka frowned.

“One thing Amelia taught us is that three things will get you anywhere: a pizza, a clipboard and the proper uniform. I think I see where that mission went…”

Izuku outright laughed. He could see it as well.

“How many people did you brainwash this time?”

“Can’t tell. Sorry.”

Kyoka stretched.

“Working with Present Mic was fun. Entertaining people is as much an art as music.”

“Thanks for letting us use your playlist.” Denki grinned at Izuku. “People often asked for tracks they didn’t know the name of and we always managed to find it. Fun times.”

“As for how your own week went…” Hitoshi turned to his best friend. “No need to ask. The speech you gave Stain is one of the currently most-viewed videos on HeroTube. _Heroes are people too_, uh? Got a point there.”

Izuku lowered his head.

“Then I used Stain to club a Nomu. Hitoshi, you did get my warning, right?”

“I did.” The teen answered, dead-serious. “Apotheosis is equally bound to intent and our mental state, so try to transform with a clear head for a specific goal.”

“Exactly.”

“And you also sent me the results of the testing. Those numbers… I admit they scare me. I’m not used to possessing that kind of strength.”

“That’s why I save it for do or die. I only transformed against Stain because Apotheosis made me immune to his Quirk.”

“And then, the side-effects kicked in.”

“Yep.”

Momo sighed.

“My week was spent doing commercials. Kendo and I did nothing heroic. It feels like a waste of time…”

Izuku turned to her and considered.

“If I may suggest, try Fat Gum, next time. His Quirk relies on him eating food, just like you do, and I think he’s mentoring a student from U.A. who also relies on food for his Quirk. It could be a lead to follow.”

“Noted.” Momo smiled. “Thanks, Midoriya.”

Monoma rolled his eyes.

“What encyclopedic knowledge of Quirk and Heroes is good for: useful tips.”

“Mine was fine, _ribbit_.” Tsuyu shrugged. “We had a pretty nasty scuffle against a smuggler called Innsmouth but, otherwise, it was alright.”

“It was less about the internship and more something personal, but Tetsubro and I learned something interesting.” Eijiro grinned. “We are cousins and half-brothers. Turns out my dad had a threesome with our moms and that’s how they got us. There’s a reason we’re so alike.”

“And I’m the oldest!” Tetsutetsu gloated.

“By ten minutes.”

Mineta breathed.

“Thank you so much for this picture. Your father accomplished what many men dream of. I’m happy for him. And for you too. You’ve been close since you met.”

Eijiro gave him a look.

“Are you alright, Minibro? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“…I have an advice for you: never intern with Mt. Lady. She spent the whole week treating me like a slave!”

“Ouch… Sorry.”

Mineta turned to Izuku.

“Since you always got good advice, mind telling me where I could go, next time?”

Izuku thought for a long moment.

“I would suggest Midnight, but you may run into the same problem as Mt. Lady. Same goes with Mirko. Ryukyu is tamer, but just remember she can turn into a dragon at will.”

“That’s already a start.”

Tokoyami frowned deeply.

“I sincerely hope Mei finished making our gear. The moment that flashlight is ready, I am adding it to my arsenal.”

Kuroiro winced.

“Yeah, no way I’m going through a repeat. God, your partner is an abomination in complete darkness!”

Tokoyami gently rubbed his friend’s shoulder. Tsuburaba gave them a look.

“I feel like a clusterfuck happened there.”

“More like a nightmare, my friend.”

A little away, Sen was playing with a Garage Wolf. When the other students gave him a look, he shrugged.

“Therapy pet.”

“Right, the Pro you were with was targeted by Stain.”

“Don’t remind me…” Sen shuddered, holding the Wolf tighter. “We heard a scream coming from a dark alley, came looking… We found Stain having Native dead to right. He took down Manual before we could even blink. He was… so terrifying! I was paralyzed. He didn’t attack me, probably because he realized he wasn’t a threat. Then Midoriya showed up with the Iidas, the Todorokis, Hawks and an elderly Hero and saved us. I’m glad Midoriya let me keep the Wolf. It’s a great pet.”

He took a spray paint can on which was printed a Garage Wolf. Izuku smiled. He had given him the can the day after the attack, guessing the 1-B student could use a fluffy pet. That Garage Wolves could fight pretty decently was an added bonus.

“The elderly Pro was my teacher for the week.” Shoto explained. “Retired Pro Hero Gran Torino. I learned much by his side.”

“Really? Like what?”

Shoto focused his right side. Ice twisted and turned to take the shape of a foot-long dagger.

“That having some CQC isn’t a bad idea, for starters.”

Yosetsu beamed.

“Oooh, elemental weapons! So cliché, and yet so good!”

“What can I say? My ice is more useful for heroics while my fire has many more uses in everyday life. That’s what we worked on.”

“True that. Controlled or not, fire remains more destructive than ice.”

Bakugo finally entered the room and made a beeline for Aizawa. The Erasure Hero looked at the note the blonde had slipped him.

“Ashura, uh? Sounds good. You can keep it.”

“Thanks, Sensei.”

His voice was quiet and lacking edge, something the other students found a little disturbing. Hanta gave him a look.

“So… how did your internship go?”

“It was useful. Best Jeanist gave me a pretty good tip to control my temper.”

This got Aizawa’s interest.

“What did he tell you?”

“To harness it like I harness my explosions.”

Given how explosive both were, Izuku could see the importance of the advice. In any case, his former bully was trying to reform himself. It was a good thing. He had the gut feeling Bakugo’s sullen face would become the new norm.

Conversation went on. At some point, All Might called Izuku, Hitoshi, Kyoka and Denki. The other students took it as their cue to gather and broach a very specific matter: The Urban Festival. Aizawa took a list.

“So, let’s resume who’s going: everyone in Class 1A & B, Mei Hatsume, me and Vlad, Mic and Midnight for U.A. Outside the school, we got Tensei Iida, Satsuki and Samidare Asui, Rei, Fuyumi and Natsuo Todoroki…”

“I am so glad the hospital let me take Mom along.” Shoto breathed. “She could use the entertainment.”

“Tetsutetsu’s mother, Kirishima’s parents, Hagakure and Tokoyami’s fathers, Tsunotori’s parents, the Kaibaras, the Shodas and the Kendos, Awase’s uncle and aunt and Honenuki’s uncle for the families. Uh, some of you invited the Pros you interned with…”

His gaze fell on Bakugo who shrugged.

“Best Jeanist’s advice actually helped. I figured I’d do something nice and invite him as a Thank You gift.”

It was a surprising display of kindness from the teen, but one that was far from unwelcome. Aizawa looked at the list

“So, Best Jeanist, Kamui Woods and Edgeshot, Hawks…”

“I invited the Undersiders.” Kuroiro shrugged. “But they said they were already going on their own. They’ll join us somewhere along.”

“Good to know. Now, as we were saying: Manual, Gunhead and Gran Torino. The Jiro and the Kaminari are helping with stage setting alongside Amelia and, of course, Toshi-san and Inko Midoriya will be present since _the Fearsome Foursome_ are performing for them. Some days, I feel those kids will drive me crazy…”  
Vlad King sympathetically rubbed his shoulder.

That Saturday, it was an odd group that gathered in Coruscant Ward. Seeing their teachers outside costume was surprising, and the same went with the Pros.

“Remember.” Vlad King frowned. “This isn’t a school trip. So long as you don’t make a scene, you’re free to do whatever you want. Also, we aren’t responsible for you, so whatever mishap happens is on your head. Now, time for some fun…”

And fun it was. The Urban Festival celebrated street culture in all its shapes. There were fast food stands every corner, people singing and dancing under the crowd’s cheers, artists masterfully playing with their cans… It was colorful. It was lively. The students mingled with the crowd, some of them barely hiding their excitation.  
Momo pensively looked at the snacks. Itsuka went to her side.

“Hungry already?”

“More like curious. I never ate street food before. My parents never let me. _We have healthier at home_, they say. But they aren’t there… What would you suggest?”

Itsuka bought her some _nikuman_, taking a dorayaki for herself.

Ochako looked at the clothes on display.

“They aren’t expensive at all… I think I’m going to do some overdue shopping.”

“You too?” Pony asked. “The clothes are nice. The style reminds me of home.”

“She’s right.” Morgan Tsunotori smiled. “These festivals weren’t uncommon back home. A little more and I’d feel nostalgic.”

They traded tips and advices on clothes, budget making and the likes as they stocked on clothing.

“I wonder if Izuku will customize some of them if I ask. I know that’s a habit of his and his mother. Take second-hand clothes, use Synesthesia on them and _tada!_ His Quirk may have drawbacks, but it’s just so useful!”

Not so far away, Shoto watched an artist spray paint on a paper sheet. Arc here, shade there, put a bowl in the middle, spray paint all over, add outlines on the edge and spray paint over them, fold paper in corners and spray in them… The result was a pretty nighttime landscape. The teen considered the price before handing the right sum to the artist. Then he handed the painting to his mother. Rei smiled fondly.

“Thank you, Shoto. Once we’re back, I will have it framed.”

Juzo and his uncle came to the family with cup noodles that were quickly shared. Shoto almost didn’t recognize Ectoplasm outside his costume. The teacher chuckled.

“Yes, I am Juzo’s uncle. I couldn’t recommend him since I already work at U.A, but I know some people, so…”

“Of course. Connections. This and skills are the prerequisites for any recommended student.”

Mina, meanwhile, had found a dancing contest she had summarily joined. Eijiro and Tetsutetsu cheered as she chained drops, spins and freezes effortlessly, going from toprock to downrock as the beat dropped. Any contestant was left panting for breath as she outperformed them. The girl hooted.

“**I am the queen of the mosh pit!** Woo!”

The two boys laughed.

In a fairly crowded corner, people watched as ink seeped from an artist’s fingers, spreading on skin in elaborate and colorful shapes. The man grinned.

“Don’t worry, the ink is water-washable. A good shower and it will be all gone, so don’t come to me if you want a permanent tattoo!”

Toru turned to her father and pleadingly pulled his hand. Suishou sighed.

“Let me guess, you want to do the whole body, right?”

“He said it’s washable. Dad, please! I want to be fully visible, just for today.”

Mashirao, who was at her side, smiled.

“It would be nice to finally see you, especially your face.”

Suishou gave in.

“Fine.” He looked at the man and glared. “But no funny business! Keep your hands where they are supposed to be!”

The artist raised his hands.

“Don’t worry, Sir. I know my job.”

Toru removed her clothes until she was in her underwear.

“Don’t worry about them.” Mashirao grinned. “I know a friend who can alter clothing. I’ll ask him to change them to match the paint.”

The artist nodded.

“Any preference?”

“…Something dark, yet colorful.”

The artist grinned.

“I got just what you need, young lady.”

Ink spread over Tory’s body. The girl giggled.

“It tickles!”

The colors spread and shifted, layers of black, navy and indigo mixing with purple and pink as white dots scattered all over. Soon, a milky way was swirling over Toru’s body, bright golden stars covering her eyelids as her midback-long hair shimmered with silver, gold and navy blue. Mashirao starred.

“You’re beautiful.”

He could finally see her face, round and almost heart-shaped, her wide eyes that smiled as brightly as her mouth, slim and small. Her nose thumbed up and her cheeks had fullness to them that made him blush.

“Come on.” Her father smiled. “Let’s find your friend so he can adjust your clothes.”

They passed by a racing competition in which Tsuyu and Jurota Shishida were competing, the frog girl having entrusted her siblings to Tenya and Tensei. Her oddly-shaped limbs made her a poor runner in straight lines but, as many speedsters found out the hard way, when it came to tight turns and strong jumps, the girl more than compensated, overtaking everyone with a single bound.

“_Ribbit!_”

Jurota laughed and ran harder. His beast form was a bit slower than most, but it was still quite powerful, and he and Tsuyu were shoulder to shoulder in the jumping segments. Being able to cut loose in his beast form was fun!

Tensei cracked his knuckles.

“Next round, I’m in! Hey, wait a minute, isn’t that Koichi!? Pop must be performing too, then. Tenya, let’s head closer to the concert place! If my hunch is right, a good friend of mine should be performing…”

Neito and Yuga sighed collectively.

“I hope the concert starts soon. This kind of ambience really isn’t my thing.”

“I agree, my friend. Urban isn’t my style at all. But our dear Izuku is singing and, as his friends, it is only right that we went to watch him.”

“That’s why I hope it starts soon. Hopefully, the show will be good.”

Yuga openly groaned.

“The music may well be the only thing I can abide – and even then, not all of it.”

Mineta grumbled as people kept bumping into him.

“The curse of being short… Crowds have their good side, but they got their bad side too!”

Shoji took pity of him and put him on his shoulder, handing him dangos in the process the teen thanked him.

“Much better. How, where to go…?”

Kojiro Bondo had apparently gotten the same idea because he was carrying Manga on his shoulders. The four teens started talking excitedly. They noticed Setsuna, a mask on her face, trying herself at street painting. Her detached hands allowed her to go higher than most, but a buff teenager with red shoes and a black skull necklace was using a Levitation Quirk to float as high as she went, adding his own paint to the picture. The result was a stylized green, black, purple and white skeletal dinosaur roaring at the crowd. People cheered, especially a girl with an orange sweater that spotted a black skull-and-crossbones and seemed to be the buff teen’s little sister.

Tokoyami and Kiroiro had joined the Undersiders and, upon seeing a band offer the crowd to try instruments, had decided to try themselves. Yamiyo grinned as Shihai made a pretty sweet riff on an electric guitar. Fumikage, on the other hand, was more at ease with the acoustic one. Rika chuckled, went to the keyboard and started playing herself. It didn’t take long for the three instruments to harmonize in a short, improvised melody.

Hizashi inhaled deeply as he mingled with the crowd. This, right there, felt like home. The people, the colors, the sounds, the smells… This was his environment, his domain. This was where he was supposed to be. He had foregone participating in the concert to be with his friends and watch his students perform, something he only slightly regretted. But it was a small price to pay to see Kyoka, Denki, Izuku and Hitoshi sing. Nemuri handed him and Shota drinks.

A little away, Best Jeanist was looking at clothes while taking notes. Bakugo absentmindedly looked at street artists painting the wall.

“Find something you like, Sensei?”

“Ideas for new fashion lines. A lot of fashion designers make clothes for the rich and well-to-do. It would be a nice change to make a line aimed at those less fortunate. A good challenge, too. I just need ideas for the style. Hm… zippers, chains, sleeveless hoodies…”

He wasn’t the only one taking notes. A red-haired girl with a pink top and short green skirt was also noting things while her friend, a glassy brunette with a green vest and a black stuffed cat, watched her and gave her input. The redhead squealed when she recognized Best Jeanist. A moment later, they were talking excitedly. The brunette turned to Bakugo.

The two shrugged helplessly and went back to watching their friend.

Meanwhile, despite their best efforts, Togaru Kamakiri and Hiryu Rin were getting their rears handed to them at Tin Pin Slammer. Their opponents, an excited boy with a red headband and his friend with the yellow gilet and fingerless blue gloves, cheered as they won another round.

“Damn.” Hiryu swore. “And here I thought I had good reflexes! I wonder how Mashirao would do at the game.”

“Last time I saw him, he was with Hagakure.” Kamakiri noted.

Hiryu rolled his eyes.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d say he got a crush.”

Ibara Shiozaki smiled as Yosetsu Awase offered her a _melonpan_ she shared with him. A little away, a silver-haired teen with a white shirt and grey pants gave a scoop of ice cream to his friend, a red-haired boy with a purple and black tank top and big purple headphones. The two walked away holding hands. Yosetsu turned to his classmate.

“You have a problem with it?”

Ibara shook her head and bit in the bread.

“No. Love is love. It matters little where it blooms.”

“True that.”

Sen Kaibara didn’t know where to look. There were so many things to watch, so many events to record! He had gotten Hiryu and Togaru getting owned at Tin Pin Slammer, Toru getting a full-body paint job, Setsuna and the blonde guy painting on the wall, Mina owning everyone in the mosh pit… He waved at Hawks who waved back, his mouth still full of yakitori. His next step, he decided, would be the concert place. He was in time to see Tenya and Tensei cheering with Tsuyu and her siblings as Pop*Step sang.

_Where did we meet before just like this_   
_I know your smile_   
_Your voice just like that_

_You talk to me and I smile right back_   
_I don't believe in fantasy_   
_Same dress, same smell reminds me_

_Something I can't forget_   
_Same song same tone in your voice_   
_Tell me this isn't a dream_

He decided to record it.

Sorahiko Torino watched from a distance as Inko and Toshinori had fun. The two were happy together, and it was clear the scrawny man was hopelessly in love with the green-haired mother. Inko was sweet and caring, mindful of her companion’s health while accompanying him to the various stands. He watched her buy his pupil a picture made with spray paint and Toshinori buy her a crepe he was unfortunately unable to share. Inko suddenly looked at her phone.

“Uh, Izuku and his friends are about to sing. Let’s head to the concert!”

Gran Torino shrugged and allowed himself a smile. The real fun had just begun.

* * *

This story isn't a crossover just because Izuku is using Noises. Next chapter is the concert proper. Given it's gonna be long because of the songs, I decided to divide it a bit...


	21. A concert for the heart

The message quickly spread among the group. Izuku and his friends were going to sing. It was time to gather at the concert plaza. It took all of five minutes for everyone to drop what they were doing and make a beeline to the area. Naturally, Inko and Toshinori had front-row seat.

They were here, dressed and equipped the part, their common trait being a hoodie and baggy black pants. Michiro was in the back, manning the drums. He was wearing a pale blue hoodie with shoe prints on the heart and black flames on the sleeves.

Hitoshi was manning the keyboard on his right, wearing a purple hoodie with cuffs on the heart and silver flames on the sleeves.

Denki was before him and a little on his left, manning the electric guitar as he wore a bright yellow hoodie with black lightning bolts on the heart and neon blue flames on the sleeves.

Izuku was next to Denki but on the other side of the scene, manning the acoustic bass guitar and wearing a dark green hoodie with a neon green treble clef on the heart and bright red flames on the sleeves.

Finally, Kyoka was at the center of the stage, manning the acoustic guitar as she wore a light pink hoodie with a purple soundwave on the heart and purple flames on the sleeves.

If they noticed their classmates and their families were here, they didn’t show it. However, none of them missed the light in Izuku’s eyes as he saw his mother and Toshinori at the front row. There was one beat, then another…

[Denki started riffing the guitar](https://youtu.be/ZQjcGFoN6tk). Then the beat dropped and Kyoka started singing.

_Grab the key let's go out and have some fun_   
_Have you ever seen such a perfect day?_   
_What's in your mind? Let's do it one by one_   
_Have you ever thought such a day would come?_

The four teens were having the time of their life, playing their instruments with massive grins on their face. Michiro was headbanging in the back, and he wasn’t the only one.

_Time's up! Forget the theory_   
_Start up the brand-new story_   
_Straight up and put it shortly_   
_This is the way my life goes_

In the crowd, their classmates weren’t better. At least half the group was dancing on their feet while the others beat with the rhythm.

_Someone said I am such a foolish girl_   
_Who cares? It's better than without a light_   
_Sometimes I need someone to hold me tight_   
_Explain to me what is justice what is right?_

Kyoka’s powerful vocal rang across the plaza, carrying strength and emotions that shook the crowd as she sang.

_"Wait a minute, it's all been done before"_   
_How long it takes to do it all over again_   
_What's in your hand? Now drop them one by one_   
_Have you ever thought such a day would come?_

After the electric riff came the melody of the acoustic guitar. It seemed Izuku’s fingers weren’t just good at painting…

_Shut up! You're so wordy_   
_Forget about all those worries_   
_"Show me your smile, how charming"_   
_Go home and kiss your mommy_

A few people would have snickered if they weren’t busy headbanging. The lyrics fit Kyoka perfectly.

_Somehow, I hate to see you lie and lie_   
_I know how dumb I am but so are you_   
_Sometimes I want to laugh and cry at once_   
_Explain to me what is justice what is right?_

Denki summarily went wild on the guitar, delivering a vibrant riff as the song reached its climax.

_Shut up! You're so wordy_   
_Forget about all those worries_   
_"Show me your smile, how charming"_   
_Go home and kiss your mommy_

The chorus finally kicked in. Everyone was dancing by then.

_Someone said I am such a foolish girl_   
_Who cares? It's better than without a light_   
_Sometimes I need someone to hold me tight_   
_Explain to me what is justice what is right?_

_Somehow, I hate to see you lie and lie_   
_I know how dumb I am but so are you_   
_Sometimes I want to laugh and cry at once_   
_Explain to me what is justice what is right?_

The song ended on a final note. Everyone cheered. Present Mic laughed.

“That’s it. I’m keeping them.”

Tensei whistled.

“_Just an indie band_, he said… Yeah, right. Not with these skills.”

Even Neito and Yuga had enjoyed the song despite not being overly fond of the style. Inko and Toshinori happily clapped.

It was only then that Izuku and his friends noticed the teen’s parents weren’t the only one present. Izuku’s double-take was a thing of beauty, as was his downright stunned face. Sen missed none of it. He had recorded the song and had plans to clean it up and share it with everyone. The crowd started chanting.

“_Another! Another! Another! Another!_”

Because, after that display, just one song wouldn’t cut it. They wanted to hear more from their friends, see more of that talent they had showed. The teens convened around Michiro and started muttering.

“What the hell!?” Denki hissed. “No one ever said friggin’ everyone was going to be there!”

“I only told Tenya and maybe Shoto and Kaibara. Maybe also Present Mic but that’s it! Why are they all there!? That wasn’t planned!”

“Tenya and Kaibara must have spread the word in our backs.” Hitoshi growled. “Bastards, they could have warned us! It was going to be just one song to have fun and show off a little! Now, they’re asking for a concert!”

“In retrospective, I should’ve guessed something was up when Ojiro came with Toru asking me to adjust her clothes.” Izuku grumbled. “Stupid me.”

“Calm down.” Michiro chided. “The presence of everyone is a surprise, but you kids did say you’ve been practicing new songs beside Someday. And even with these, there are some you know well. Why not sing them?”

Izuku turned to Kyoka.

“How do you feel about it?”

“…Let’s do this. Which songs will we do?”

Izuku counted his fingers. After careful consideration, the group made their choice.

“They want a concert? They’ll have it. Let’s do this.” The girl turned to Izuku. “You’re next.”

Izuku nodded and, as everyone returned to their instruments, traded places with Kyoka and addressed the crowd.

“You will get four songs. No more, no less. Now… _Let’s dance_.”

[Hitoshi’s keyboard started first](https://youtu.be/-LK01R-sCNg). Then Kyoka joined on the bass while Denki and Michiro started clapping. Izuku started singing, gesturing along.

_Time,_   
_I won't ever give in_   
_No matter how hard you pull me in_   
_I know gravity ain't an excuse_   
_Just wanna make things a little more smooth_

_The majority is still asleep_   
_They're tired of those dreadful dreams_   
_Now, let me shout and wake you up_   
_Let me wake you up!_

The beat dropped, hard. Then the keyboard kicked in again.

_When the sunset dyes the sky so bright_   
_She freaks me out with her secret smile_   
_The stars above start to shine_   
_For miles and miles, I wonder why_   
_Is this a curse, or just a harsh_   
_Long winding river where there's flowers floating_   
_I know you can stop its flow on a whim_   
_So I have learned to swim_

Bakugo’s jaw fell on the ground.

“Fuck me, Deku can rap!?”

Aizawa and Best Jeanist made an about turn and starred at the teen as Bakugo manually closed his jaw and starred, dumbstruck.

_Until the time is up_   
_I can't give up on you_   
_Before the time is up_   
_I'll leave all my regrets_   
_Between the lines of lights_   
_And I am lost again_   
_Until this time is up_   
_I'll never give this up_

_Until this time is up_   
_I can't give up on you_   
_Before the time is up_   
_I leave all my regrets_   
_Between the lines of lights_   
_And I am lost again_   
_Until this time is up_   
_I'll never give this up_

The crowd joined in the clapping, dancing along.

_Why you want to tie me up?_   
_Get outta my way, cause I'm on my way_   
_I don't care about imaginary boundaries_   
_But somehow, I'm afraid to go over them_   
_Cover up all the scars and memories_   
_Creativity is all that I've got_   
_So, let me shout and wake you up_   
_Let me wake you up!_

The teen winked at his parents who both went beet red. The message was clear: this song was for them. Toshinori almost coughed blood.

_While the fireflies dance_   
_On a blue moon night_   
_She tempts with her glistening eyes_   
_The sky above changes its color_   
_From dawn till dusk, I wonder why_   
_Is this a curse, or just a blind guess_   
_So I'm floating on the clouds without wings_   
_All of the sudden the end might come_   
_So I don't act like someone else_

Inko thought she would die of embarrassment. Her sole comfort was that Toshi wasn’t feeling any better. She wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. Her son was awesome.

_Until the time is up_   
_I can't give up on you_   
_Before this time is up_   
_I'll leave all my regrets_   
_Between the lines of lights_   
_And I am lost again_   
_Until the time is up_   
_I'll never give this up_

_Until the time is up_   
_I can't give up on you_   
_Before the time is up_   
_I'll leave all my regrets_   
_Between the lines of lights_   
_And I'm confused again_   
_When the time is up_   
_I'll take what I've got to take_

Inko shook her head and buried it in Toshinori’s chest, who bitterly regretted he couldn’t do the same.

“My boy, seriously…”

Gran Torino was laughing like a maniac.

“Damn, that kid’s got style! Way to tell your parents to just _tie it already, you two!_ Ahahahaha!”

“Damn!” Eijiro breathed. “That was some serious rapping!”

“I know, right?” Mina whooped. “Things are getting good!”

Tenya shook his head.

“Many talents indeed! I didn’t know he could rap of all things! Where did he learn to do that?”

“I’m wondering the same fuckin’ thing, Four Eyes!”

Uh, Bakugo was back to using nicknames. His control must have gone by the window. After taking a few moments to breathe, the group tuned their instruments, Izuku and Kyoka moving so they were side by side.

[The acoustic bass began, dark and ominous](https://youtu.be/LuuQLtyI77U). Izuku started singing, his voice low and almost whispering.

_One brings shadow, one brings light_   
_Two-toned echoes tumbling through time_   
_Threescore wasted, ten cast aside_   
_Four-fold knowing, no end in sight_   
_One brings shadow, one brings light_   
_One dark future no one survives_   
_On their shadows, away we fly…_

Kyoka’s voice rang, strong and powerful.

The road that we walk   
Is lost in the flood   
Here proud angels bathe in   
Their wages of blood   
At this, the world's end   
Do we cast off tomorrow

She was putting her heart into the lyrics, her voice making the words ring with unchained emotions. Denki riffed on the guitar, hard. Izuku followed, still using his whispering tone.

_One brings shadow, one brings light_   
_To this riddle all souls are tied_   
_Brief our moments, brazen and bright_   
_Forged in fury, tempered in ice_   
_Hindmost devils, early to rise_   
_Sing come twilight, sleep when they die_   
_Heaven's banquet leavened with lies_   
_Sating honor, envy, and pride_   
_One brings shadow, one brings light_   
_Run from the light_

Kyoka’s voice rank again, powerful and fierce, Michiro’s beats hammering each of her lines.

Authors of our fates _(blam-blam)_  
Orchestrate our fall from grace_ (blam-blam)_  
Poorest players on the stage_ (blam-blam)_  
Our defiance drives us straight to the edge  
A reflection in the glass_ (blam-blam)_  
Recollections of our past_ (blam-blam)_  
Swift as darkness, cold as ash_ (blam-blam)_  
Far beyond this dream of paradise lost

The music calmed as Hitoshi, Denki and Michiro joined their voices in a chorus, Hitoshi’s keyboard moving this part.

_ **Hooome** _   
_ **Riding hooome** _   
_ **Dying hooope** _   
_ **Hold onto hooope...** _   
_ **Ooooh...** _

Denki riffed on the guitar, a testimony of his skills that he could play while holding the chorus like he did.

_ **Hooome** _   
_ **Riding hooome** _   
_ **Home, riding hooome** _   
_ **Hope, finding hooope...** _   
_ **Ooooh...** _

Izuku’s voice whispered once more as the song built toward the climax. It felt to the crowd like holding their breath, tense with expectation.

_One brings shadow, one brings light_   
_One more chapter we've yet to write_   
_Want for nothing, nothing denied_   
_Wandering ended, futures aligned_   
_One brings shadow, one brings light_   
_One brings shadow, one brings light_   
_You are the light_

Kyoka’s voice rang with even more power than before, backed by the chorus that joined her on the song’s last verse.

We faaall   
We faaall   
We faaall   
We faaall   
Unto the end

The end – _**One world's end**_  
The end – _**Our world's end**_  
The end, our end – **_Our world's end_**  
We won't eeeeend

The song ended on a final, ominous whisper.

_I am shadow, I am the light_

There was a beat. Then the crowd cheered and whooped. Tsuburaba jumped in excitation.

“Damn, now that’s what I call an absolute banger!”

“I know, right?” Hanta laughed.

Tokoyami closed his eyes and turned to Sen.

“What a beautiful melody… You are sharing the video, right? I need to add this tune to my playlist.”

“Can and will do.”

The group breathed, leaving the adrenaline fall down. Izuku moved away from Kyoka so she could have the spotlight, then Hitoshi started playing. [The melody was sweet and gentle](https://youtu.be/gFFOXwniVKw).

_Where have you been?_   
_Been searching all along_   
_Came facing twilight on and on_   
_Without a clue_   
_Without a sign_   
_Without grasping yet_   
_The real question to be asked_   
_Where have I been?_

The song was slow ang gentle, melodic. A sharp contrast to the songs that had come before. The crowd relaxed and began swaying.

_I'm a shape shifter_   
_At Poe's masquerade_   
_Hiding both face and mind_   
_All free for you to draw_   
_I'm a shape shifter_   
_What else should I be?_   
_Please don't take off my mask_   
_Revealing dark_

Kyoka’s voice was smooth and sultry, rolling over the crowd like velvet. More than a few people closed their eyes to enjoy it.

_Moments of calm_   
_Nothing left to be found_   
_A mirror right in front of me_   
_That's where I find_   
_An empty glass_   
_Reflecting the sad truth_   
_It's telling words not to be told_   
_I need the mask_

Inko felt a burst of audacity. Taking Toshiori’s hands, she started dancing quietly. The scrawny man followed. They weren’t the only ones.

_I'm a shape shifter_   
_At Poe's masquerade_   
_Hiding both face and mind_   
_All free for you to draw_   
_I'm a shape shifter_   
_Chained down to my core_   
_Please don't take off my mask_   
_My place to hide_

Tensei turned to Rei and held a hand. After hesitating, Shoto’s mother held it and started shuffling awkwardly. Kuroiro kept stealing glances at Kinoko, not quite daring enough to invite her.

_I can't tell you_   
_How to see me_   
_Just a cage of bones_   
_There's nothing inside_   
_Will it unleash me?_   
_Burning down the walls_   
_Is there a way_   
_For me to break?_

Denki’s face was red, but it was hard to tell whether it was from the heat or from blushing. Given he was timidly looking at Kyoka, Vlad King hazarded the later.

_I'm a shape shifter_   
_At Poe's masquerade_   
_Hiding both face and mind_   
_All free for you to draw_   
_I'm a shape shifter_   
_Have no face to show_   
_Please don't take off my mask_   
_My disguise_

The music faded softly. The crowd breathed. The song had been relaxing, a quiet lull amidst the loudness of the Festival. Mineta awkwardly turned to Shoji.

“May I admit something?”

“Sure.”

“I almost creamed myself just hearing her voice.”

“…I didn’t, but it gave me _thoughts_.”

They weren’t the only ones feeling romantic. Somehow, Itsuka’s head had ended on Neito’s shoulder. The blonde’s face was beet red. Nearly every pair of parents was holding hands and Aizawa and Present Mic had somehow ended head against head, with Midnight holding them both. No one was complaining.

Izuku inhaled sharply to muster his courage, then shifted places with Kyoka, thus finding himself in the spotlight. Everyone perked up.

[The music started](https://youtu.be/iYZIUtDAFIw), soft and gentle as Hitoshi played on the keyboard. Then Michiro dropped the beat, Denki rocked the guitar and Izuku started singing.

Not all Heroes are born  
Some of them are made

Everyone’s attention was firmly on them, now. Everyone was listening, and the teen intended to deliver.

_Everyone has once looked at the sky_   
_Seeing the stars above, hoping to shine at their side_   
_Everyone has once reached for the stars_   
_Chased their trail, children’s dreams shining show the way_

The music was equally intricate and catchy. The crowd didn’t need more to start dancing.

_Light so bright keeps the darkness at a bay_   
_Light so bright makes the night feel like a day_   
_Light so bright kindles embers in a heart_   
_Light so bright was once ember ignited_

Hawks, Best Jeanist, Vlad King and many a Pro in attendance nodded. Before being Pros, they, too, had been bright-eyed children with dreams of heroism.

_Confidence from experience_   
_An ember doesn’t become star_   
_In a single day, it journeys_   
_Experience from competence honed and trained_

_You are never alone, on_   
_This path your journey, there_   
_Will be stars that will show you_   
_How to shine in your special way_

The music slowed. Breathes were held…

_And if you say run, then I run, no_   
_Matter how far or fast_   
_And if you say fight, then I will fight_   
_Until I can no more stand_   
_And if you say jump, then I jump, I_   
_Don’t ask how, simply how high_

_Go beyond, Plus Ultra_   
_Chase the stars, reach for the sky_

Present Mic almost, almost shouted at the drop of U. A’s motto. He wasn’t the only one.

_And if you say run, then I run, no_   
_Matter how far or fast_   
_And if you say fight, then I will fight_   
_Until I can no more stand_   
_And if you say jump, then I jump, I_   
_Don’t ask how, simply how high_

_Go beyond, Plus Ultra_   
_Embers ignite, shining so brightly_

The chorus rang, louder and brighter as the crowd went wild.

_It is a long road ahead, a_   
_Long journey from ember to star_   
_Rise to the challenges that life will never fail to put in_   
_Your way to the sky, go beyond_   
_Your limits and make it, ignite and shine your way_   
_A star is born, this is your day_

Denki riffed one last time fiercely as Hitoshi went wild on his keyboard and Michiro hammered the drums. The song wouldn’t end on a whisper but a bang.

** _If you say run_ **

The crowd became silent. Izuku started to worry…

Then it went completely insane, clamoring higher and louder than ever before. Amidst the clamor, Present Mic turned to Aizawa.

“If Nezu doesn’t make it U. A’s anthem, I quit.”

Hawks made a full-bellied laugh.

“U. A’s got talent, I see! Damn, this rocked!”

Gran Torino was quieter than the rest, but he still smiled from one ear to the other.

‘_Alright, I accept your choice, Toshinori. The boy got more talents than one and, occasional loss of control aside, he has a good heart. He will make a fine bearer._’

Among the excitation, it was easy for Toshinori to slip away. Inko, her eyes tearful from joy, didn’t notice his hand slip from hers. Izuku and his friends were waving at the crowd when All Might appeared from nowhere and landed softly among them. Still, his presence was imposing and sudden enough to startle everyone into silence. The Hero grinned massively and, for once, genuinely.

“**_I am the Symbol of Peace and I approve of this song!_**”

There was a collective gasp, then the crowd cheered louder than before.

* * *

I know I said I would update Graffiti Heart and Ordinary Life at the same time, but the wedding scene is giving me trouble and, with the virus running around, best to play safe and post a chapter as soon as it's written. Just in case.

Anyway, here you have it, one of the core chapters of this story: the concert at the Urban Festival. Izuku and his friends really went all out for it… and it paid ! All Might approves ! Do you ? Making lyrics for You Say Run _wasn't_ easy. The melody is intricate so setting the lyrics to it was about as difficult as the math at the Sports Festival. But I did it. I hope I did a decent job...


	22. Families of choice

The aftermath of the concert was busy to say the least. They had to get over the awe of having one of their songs _approved by All Might himself! **Eeeeeh!!!**_ Pack things so the next group, Def Märch could have the place, apologize to 777 for taking more time than planned because, of course, all of their classmates had come to watch them without warning…

“It’s okay.” 777 reassured. “You kids made a song the Symbol of Peace himself found cool. Can’t be mad at you after that display.”

“Sorry again.” Izuku sighed. “When we told some of our friends, we didn’t think they’d spread the word among _every single one_ of our classmates. We couldn’t exactly say no after that.”

“Yeah, you gave them quite a show. You’re an indie band, right?”

“Yes.” Hitoshi smiled. “We play mostly for fun and so Kyoka can have some training. She wants to become a Pro and a singer.”

“Oh, an entertaining Pro, uh? It’s all to your credit, lady. Well, good luck for the rest. Now, time for Def Märch to get their own show started…”

The Kaminaris and the Jiros waved the kids to go and join their friends. They could handle the rest. The four teenagers didn’t need to be told twice. The first thing Izuku did upon reuniting with his classmates was huff.

“You could have told us all of you would come…”

“We wanted to surprise you.” Tenya admitted in an oddly sheepish tone. “When you said you and your friends were a band, I thought it was sad that so few people knew about it, and even more that none of us had heard you before. That’s why I decided to have everyone show.”

Hitoshi gave his class representative a weird look.

“Wait, it was your idea!?” He turned to his friend. “Stiff, strait-laced, stickler-for-rules Iida came up with that kind of idea? Pinch me, I’m dreaming.”

Kyoka was happy to oblige. Bakugo went straight to Izuku.

“Deku, since when you can rap?”

“Since we started the band?”

Bakugo blinked. Glanced at his classmates. Blinked again.

“You can rap. Deku. Can. Rap. Fuck me, I’m dreaming. That’s about the last thing I expected you to know.”

“Well, I can.”

“And you’re good at it, at that. Damn…”

The rest of their classmates quickly gathered around them, complimenting them on their performance.

“That was awesome! You guys totally rocked!”

“We are so posting that online! Seriously, we gotta share it with the rest of U.A!”

“You’ll do it again, right?”

“If you do it at the School Festival, you’re gonna blow everyone else!”

“U. A’s got talent, everyone!”

“Woo!”

Izuku wove through the crowd until he got to his parents. Inko and Toshinori gave him a look of pure pride.

“So, did you like the songs?”

“Like? My boy, we _loved_ them! We couldn’t have asked for a better show. You were amazing.”

Izuku chuckled.

“And All Might showed up, in the end! I didn’t think he would, or even that he’d like You Say Run like that! I mean, coming up with that song wasn’t easy but…”

“Wait.” Present Mic cut. “You actually wrote that song!?”

“I wrote _You Say Run_ and _Three Minutes Clapping_. Denki wrote _Someday_ and _Beneath the Mask_. _Shadowbringers_ is a cover of an already-existing song.”

The U.A. teachers shared a look. That Izuku could write songs was rather in-character. But Denki was admittedly not smart, even with his fondness for classical literature. None of them had expected the blonde to be a song writer in his off-time.

“Did you write more?”

“We wrote a handful. It’s mostly Denki and I, though Kyoka and even Hitoshi came up with one or two. When I made _You Say Run_, I wanted to make a song for Pro Heroes, a homage of sorts. I… didn’t expect it to be that successful.”

Toshinori held the urge to cough blood.

‘_My boy, you wrote a song that details the journey from bright-eyed student to famous Pro, and you included U. A’s motto in the chorus. Do you know how many famous Pros went through U.A? Do you know how many Pro will recognize themselves in that song, me included? You bet I would approve!_’

The concert being over, the four friends were free to enjoy the Festival. Izuku used Synesthesia on their clothes, changing them from their singing attire to more casual wear. Denki was wearing tighter-fitting pants and a black yellow-lined jacket over a blue shirt. Kyoka wore a pink shirt under a sleeveless leather vest and tighter black pants. Izuku and Hitoshi decided to only alter the pattern on their hoodies, removing the flames and heart symbol. The clothes’ thickness and looseness made them quite comfortable.

The first thing Kyoka did after changing was grabbing Denki by the collar and kissing him straight on the lips.

“You know, there are much subtler ways to confess than by writing a song and having your crush sing it.”

“Hey, it worked, right?”

“…Damn right, it did.”

Denki took her face and kissed her, gently and chastely. Aizawa was oddly surprised no prize was passing hands. He had seen this one coming for a while. Their classmates hooted and wolf-whistled loudly and openly. Hitoshi looked at the pair and breathed.

‘_If Denki can confess to Kyoka, I can confess to Izuku. Tomorrow. I’ll do it tomorrow._’

His heart ached just thinking about his crush. He loved Izuku for so many reasons, first of all being his kindness. Izuku had been the very first person to be nice to him and this, more than anything else, was why the teen loved him. Next was his cuteness. The green-haired boy was simply adorable, and his smile had a knack for making Hitoshi’s heart melt. Finally, his creativity was what amazed him the most. May it be sounds or color, Izuku had a knack for putting them together into works of art. All in all, it was no surprise the purple-haired teen was head over heels.

Their wandering took them to the dancing contest. Mina turned to Denki.

“Hey, remember that dance battle you owe me…?”

Denki laughed.

“Mina, I am on Cloud Nine right now. You have zero chance.”

“Bring it.”

The DJ cheered.

“Oooh, it seems our Queen of the Mosh Pit issued a personal challenge! Can Blondie over there rise up to it?”

Denki cracked his knuckles.

“Let’s set the dancefloor on _fire_, shall we?”

The music started playing.

[ _Everybody get up it's time to slam now_ ](https://youtu.be/J9FImc2LOr8)   
_We got a real jam goin' down_   
_Welcome to the Space Jam_   
_Here's your chance, do your dance at the Space Jam_   
_Alright..._

Both teens grinned like maniacs. Then they started dancing. The crowd cheered as Denki and Mina chained figure after figure to the beat of the music. Denki earned points through some impressive _Toprock_ chained by a _suicide_ and a _kip-up 180_. Mina retaliated with a _Darkhammers_ chained by a _flight swipe_ and a _rolling kip_. The pair went on as the music thrummed, competing fiercely and chaining more and more impressive figures until Denki finally got the drop on Mina with a _2000_ flowing into an _airflare bomb_. This got the girl to surrender.

“Alright, you win, Kaminari. Damn, that will teach me to challenge the guy who uses breakdancing to fight!”

“Warned you, Ashido. Now, **_who rules the mosh pit!?_**”

The crowd cheered. Present Mic laughed.

“No way I could adopt these two, by any chance? I swear, I love these kids!”

Aizawa rolled his eyes and smiled, more than used to his friend’s antics. A pair of _ganguros_, the man wearing his hair in a short blonde ponytail, watched the scene with a grin.

“Dude, I was wondering if there was anyone who could take her. I mean, like, I totally gave it my best and she still served me my arse! Dude over there’s skilled, yo!”

“The guy was, like, totally on fire! The way he moved… It was like, like, he was totally flying! That was awesome! Right, Sota-chan?”

“You bet, Nao-Nao!”

The rest of the visit went well. They are at a ramen shop held by a certain Ken Doi and had a chat with a guy who was fond of using math lingo, apparently because of his Quirk. Numbers made Minamimoto good with numbers, but Hitoshi rightfully pointed how useful counting was in everyday life, and thus how versatile the man’s Quirk was.

Toshinori took Gran Torino apart.

“So, your thoughts so far?”

“Both kids are good.” The elderly Pro admitted. “The Shinso kid’s snarky as all hell, but his heart is in the right place and he is hopeless for your kid. As for the Midoriya boy, no comment. You chose him well.”

Naturally, this was when things went wrong. Hitoshi had mustered enough courage to timidly hold Izuku’s hand, who had let it in his, and was wondering how to confess properly the next day when two familiar figures came into view. Izuku blinked.

“…Mom, is that –”

“Izuku, stay behind me and don’t say a word. I will handle this.”

Toshinori looked at Inko. A man and a woman were approaching the group. The man was fairly plain, with black hair and an everyman face while the woman was a tanned, curvy blonde with blue eyes. Inko growled and surreptitiously reached for her can of Alterna Wolf.

“Hisashi… What are you doing there?”

“I thought I had seen a familiar face. It’s been long, Inko.”

Izuku froze. His father was there!? He looked at his Toshinori, then at his friend. The scrawny Hero felt his blood boil. So, this was Hisashi Midoriya, Inko’s cheating husband. This meant the girl at his side was his paramour, Vanessa. If Inko let him have a word, he was going to chew the man and spit him out. He doubted he would, though. Inko was already showing her steel.

“Indeed, it has, Hisashi. I see you brought your bleached beauty along. Come to enjoy the festival, I suppose?”

“Yes. I see you got the same idea. And you even brought Izuku and his friends. I didn’t expect this kind of activity to be Izuku’s thing…”

“Izuku’s thing? Ha, how little you know your son! Izuku was part of the main event. He and his friends sang several wonderful songs for Toshi and I, and his classmates loved them as well.”

“…Uh, really? Izuku makes music, now? You had informed me his Quirk turns sound into color. Figures he’d end up with some artistic talent. So, what is he doing, these days Gotta admit, after what you told me about Aldera, I’m impressed he got friends in the first place…

Denki and Kyoka took one good look at the pair before edging to Izuku.

“It’s a good thing your mom dumped him. Toshi-san looks like a zombie, but he’s a much better dad than your old man.”

“Don’t remind me…”

Inko bared her teeth.

“Hisashi, do you honestly think I’m going to tell you what_ our son_ has been doing for the past years? After everything you’ve done? I’m being magnanimous just _talking to you_, you cheat!”

“Whoa, there! Since when did you grow that backbone?” Hisashi raised his hands. “Yes, I’m seeing Vanessa on the side. But, really, there’s nothing serious between us. We’re just friends. Really… really good friends.”

Those who knew Inko shared a worried look. Toshinori wanted to strangle the man. Gran Torino moved silently to the side to have a better look at the show. They were about to see what Inko Midoriya was truly made of and he wanted to miss none of it. Inko crossed her arms.

“Toshinori is also a very good friend. Unlike you, though, we are completely serious about each other and Izuku has been egging us about tying the knot for years. If he doesn’t do it tonight, I’m proposing him tomorrow.”

Hisashi scoffed.

“The scarecrow? Inko, please, if you’re going to cheat on me, you can do better than that.”

Several people wanted to argue, especially the four teens. Static was running on Izuku’s arms, but it wasn’t Apotheosis.

“Mom, you want me to do it, or…”

“It’s alright, sweetie.” Inko’s voice was icy. “I got this…. So, _I can do better than that?_ Maybe I don’t _want_ better. Toshinori and I have been together since your braindead bombshell called me to boast_ to my face_ that she was seeing you, and he has been a better father to Izuku than you have ever been. So, as far as I’m concerned, he’s a keeper. You, on the other hand… You and your bimbo can get out of my family’s life _permanently_. You are no longer part of it.”

Vanessa looked at Hisashi.

“Oh, isn’t she rude? Why did you marry this woman, already?”

“Me? Rude?” Inko growled. “Says the one who called me _pancake face_ over a phone call! You have no room to talk, _ijin_.”

Hisashi threw his hands.

“Fair enough. I thought I could pay you a small visit, see how you were doing. If this is how you greet me, then I’ll gladly leave your life. We both know Izuku isn’t my son, anyway. You went into a bar one evening and came back pregnant the next day, and you couldn’t even remember who you’d slept with. I only agreed to raise your brat because I’m sterile myself.”

The silence was only broken by a few shocked gasps. Inko’s fists balled tightly. Izuku turned to his mother.

“Mom, is it true?”

Inko didn’t answer. All she did was grab the can of Alterna Wolf, summon the Noise and give an order in an absolutely freezing voice.

“_Chomp, boy._”

Hisashi and Vanessa were running hell for leather the next moment, the Wolf angrily gnawing at their heels. Only once they were out of sight did Inko turn to her son.

“Yes, what he said is true. No, it doesn’t matter. You are my son. I raised you, cared for you and for your friends. I was there when you needed me and I will always be. I don’t care who your father is. Unless they miraculously happen to be Toshi, they were only your genitor and you shouldn’t give a damn about them. I don’t.”

The Alterna Wolf returned with a piece of pants fabric in its mouth. Inko petted it. Izuku badly wanted to believe his mother.

“I hope you’re right…”

Hitoshi squeezed his hand.

“She is. For having parents that are uncaring at best and emotionally abusive at worst, I can say with certainty that just because someone made you, that doesn’t mean they care about you. I never believed family is those you’re related to. It’s those who care for you, and your family has cared more for me than my own.” _Which is one of the reasons I want to join it in earnest. I love you. I hope you feel the same._

Izuku smiled.

“Thank you.”

Rei looked at Inko.

“Out of curiosity, how much do you remember of that night?”

“Just that someone tried to slip me a mickey and I noticed, and the situation devolved into a bar brawl. Then I sit for another drink and it’s all blank. That’s it.” Inko sighed. “I narrowly avoid a drugged drink only to fall for another. It wasn’t one of my best nights…”

Toshinori believed her. He also firmly believed that, if DNA testing could help figure out who Izuku’s father was, he would find the man and rearrange their face. As All Might. The rest of the students, who remembered Izuku’s fury during the Sports Festival, shared a knowing look. Now, they knew where the teen’s temper came from.

“Mother and son are cast from the same mold.” Vlad King noted.

The rest of the festival went mercifully undisturbed. At some point, Izuku was asked to demonstrate his painting skills, which he did by dancing in the middle of the street as static flowed over the pavement.

“Don’t worry, Inko reassured. “It fades after three to five days.”

In the meantime, Izuku was dancing to the beat of the electronic music, his breakdance much simpler than Denki’s but still nice to watch. Sound in static turned into vibrant, neon colors of red and green, purple and silver, yellow and black, pink and blue. It was an abstract, round, bubbly kaleidoscope that was almost dizzying to look at. Hawks grinned.

“This is the kind of art he makes when he is happy. Flashy. And pretty too.”

He still remembered the angry death-shaded splashes of color a barely-restrained Graffiti Heart had covered the alleyway with. This one was much prettier.

Even though some lingered as night fell, most of the group went home. As she rummaged through her bag for the painting, Rei found a spray paint can with a graffiti-looking ice horse, its label reading Pony Madison. It took her a moment to remember what the creature was. The can ended in a safely hidden place while the spray painting ended in a pretty frame on the wall.

Mashirao reluctantly parted ways with Toru, his gaze lingering on her until she was well and truly out of his sight. Hiryu elbowed him.

“Don’t want to bid your girlfriend goodbye?”

Ojiro went beet red, his tail wagging nervously in his back.

“Toru isn’t… It’s not like that at all! You got the wrong idea! It’s just, it was the first time I saw her for _real_. I wanted to engrave the sight in my mind.”

“Yeah, you got a crush.”

Ojiro stumbled upon his words.

“W-Well, so do you! On Pony. I’ve seen you.”

Hiryu’s scales reflexively sprung. Touché.

Bakugo looked at Best Jeanist.

“So, had fun?”

“Very. Thank you for inviting me. I was already planning to go but your offer was still kind. Told you you could do nice.”

Bakugo looked away nervously.

“You gave me good advice. I thought I’d give you something you like in return.”

“And I appreciated. Thank you.”

Bakugo bit his lip. He wasn’t used to people thanking him, not like that. He was still having trouble acknowledging he had acted nicely because of how unnatural it felt to him. In his mind, it was just a favor for a favor. But he respected the Pro’s word, even if he didn’t always agree.

Denki and Kyoka parted ways after the blonde gave his crush one last kiss on the cheek. His father grinned.

“You’re really into this girl, are you?”

“Completely hopeless. Kyoka is amazing in way too many ways to count.”

Raimu Kaminari laughed.

“One thing we got in common: when it comes to our spouses, they got us wrapped over their fingers. Still, points for style. Confessing by having her sing that love song you wrote was well-played.”

“I hope so! It took me a whole month to write Beneath the Mask!”

As soon as he was home, Sen started working on the video. When his father came to check on him near midnight, he found his son deep asleep, his face on his keyboard with the video half-edited. Sighing, Kaisen delicately put the teen to bed, saved his work and turned off the lights.

Aizawa and Yamada stumbled into their apartment. The Voice-Quirked Hero felt on a high the kind only some serious binge drinking or an event like the Festival could generate. Aizawa gave him one of his rare genuine smiles.

“So, fun times?”

“Are you kidding!? I haven’t had so much fun in a _long_ time! Damn, that was amazing… Everything was amazing. It was worth not participating myself.”

His merriness was contagious. Aizawa caressed his face. Yamada felt his face redden. He knew what was coming next, so he decided to take the upper hand and kissed his friend first.

“I love you.”

“I know.”

Aizawa returned the kiss. They were bare-chested by the time they reached the bed.

‘_I’m sorry, Hiza. I know you love me but this is how far I am able to go. I am too scared to fall in love, too scared of becoming so deeply attached to someone, only to feel my heart break when I lose them like I lost Oboro. That’s why I let you have me like that. Because this is how much I can give you. I want to return your feelings so badly, but I can’t. I just cannot do it._’

“I’m sorry.” He uttered between kisses. “You deserve more.”

“I don’t care. I still have you.”

It was a long night. It was a heated night.

Izuku, Inko and Toshinori entered their home with a massive smile on his face. Izuku grinned.

“I hope Kaibara cleans the video quickly. Amelia recorded the concert, but he got the rest of the Festival. So, did you have fun?”

Toshinori hugged him tight.

“My boy, I haven’t had so much fun in ages! Aside from Hisashi showing up, we had a great time from start to finish.”

“Thank you for the songs, sweetie.” Inko grinned. “They were all amazing. And I still can’t believe All Might showed up! Your song must have really impressed him for him to give you his approval!”

Izuku blushed nervously.

“Yeah… that was unexpected. It feels, I don’t know, surreal? All I wanted was to make a song about heroes. I didn’t think people would love it so much!”

Inko and Toshinori shared a look before holding him tight.

“Well, they did. And speaking of liking…”

He took a small box, knelt before Inko and opened it to reveal two golden rings.

“Inko Midoriya, will you marry me?”

Inko outright laughed.

“I told you during the Festival: if you won’t propose me today, I will propose you tomorrow. _Of course_, I will marry you, you overgrown scarecrow. I love you.”

She kissed him, then slipped one of the rings on her finger. Toshinori took a thin chain and set the ring on it before putting it on. Izuku beamed.

“Took you two long enough!”

Toshinori closed his eyes as mother and son started making dinner. Now came the hardest part: telling them the truth of his identity and offering One for All to Izuku.

“…My boy, do you remember that speech you gave Stain, how Heroes were people as well?”

“I do.” Izuku winced. “Stain had really gotten on my nerves, this time. I still can’t believe it’s still popular.”

“It is popular indeed, and it will remain so because you raise a perfectly valid point. There’s just one thing you’re wrong about.”

Izuku raised a brow, and even Inko had started listening. Toshinori mustered his courage.

“You said All Might is more than a Hero. He is a Symbol, and that’s why no people can match him… While it is true that All Might is the Symbol of Peace, he is at the core no different than the other Heroes. Beneath the mask, he, too, is human.”

Izuku blinked once. Twice.

“…What kind of person could _the Symbol of Peace_ be? I mean… He is… Sorry, Toshi-san. I’m wracking my brain and I just can’t imagine what kind of person All Might could be under his mask, given he wears one. It’s just… No. I can’t picture it. Sorry.”

In any other occasion, Toshinori would have laughed. For Izuku, of all people, to fail to give All Might a civilian identity, his mask was strong indeed.

It wasn’t always a good thing. Case in point.

“And yet, my boy, I can promise you All Might has a civilian identity he treasures above all else, and those privy to it can be counted on the fingers of one hand. He has friends he cares deeply for, a woman he loves dearly, children who see him as a surrogate father… Beneath the mask, All Might is as human as you and I.”

“Of course, you’d know. You’re his secretary.”

This time, Toshinori laughed.

“No, my boy. I am the man himself.”

On this, he transformed. Inko and Izuku watched in disbelief as the gaunt man turned into a very familiar blonde colossus. It took the pair several moments to find their voice. Inko was the first to speak.

“…Why? Toshi, why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

“Because of what I said. The man you see there, the Symbol of Peace, it is merely the mask I wear as a Hero. This…” He dropped the transformation. “This is who I really am: Toshinori Yagi, or Toshi-san as you like to call me. Inko, I waited until we were engaged because I wanted to make sure you loved me for who I am, and not because I am the Symbol of Peace.”

Inko understood. The logic wasn’t hard to get.

“It still feels really awkward.”

“I can believe.” Toshinori held her. “Inko, I love you. The Symbol of Peace may be a distant figure everyone looks up to but you, Young Izuku, his friends, Michiro-san and everyone else, they remind me why the Symbol exists. Why I keep going even with the injuries I suffered: because I care for you, and I want to keep Japan safe for your sake.”

Inko hugged her tight. Toshinori returned the embrace, and even Izuku snuck in his arms to join the hug. The family remained like that for several long moments

“I’ll have to get used to the fact my new dad is my greatest hero.” Izuku chuckled nervously. “Mom is right, this is awkward.”

“I know, my boy. Don’t worry, we have time.”

Inko smiled and went back to cooking.

“So, while we are in the mood for intense revelations, is there any other secret you’d like to share?”

“Well, as a matter of fact, there is one.” Inko and Izuku made an about turn. “However, that particular secret was dependent of how you’d take me being All Might. You took it better than I thought, so I think I can safely share that secret with you.”

“And… What is it about, this time?”

“My Quirk.”

Izuku frowned.

“All Might’s power is one of the Seven Great Mysteries of the world. No one knows what it is.”

“Actually, a handful of people do, most notably those aware that Toshinori Yagi and All Might are the same person. My Quirk is actually called One for All. As for its origins, it is actually derived from an old and powerful Quirk called All for One. All for One is a dangerous Quirk that lets its user steal others’ powers. On the flipside, it can also pass them to others.”

Inko finished dinner and served it. The three gathered around the table. Toshinori explained as they ate, about All for One’s history and the formation of One for All, how his “Quirkless” little brother had in fact a Quirk that mutated upon receiving the stockpiling power and how the two brothers fought. The younger lost, so he passed One for All to another, and another and another.

“I am One for All’s current bearer. However, as you may have noticed, I am not in the best of shapes… I got All for One to thank for that. That immortal bastard… killed my mentor, the previous bearer of One for All. He almost killed me when we fought. Now, I am limited in how long I can use my power, and my body is sickly and frail. I have spent the past years searching for a successor, one that I could safely entrust with One for All. One that could carry the torch after me.”

Inko and Izuku felt a stone sink in their stomach.

“Did you find them?” Izuku asked softly.

“I found several people I believe worthy. One is a young man trained by one of my former sidekicks. His name is Mirio Togata, and his Quirk lets him phase through things. Not a bad ability, and he has both the heart and the skills to succeed me as a bearer of One for All and a Symbol of Peace. The second… It is your best friend, Hitoshi Shinso. He may be dry and vicious when his loved ones are threatened, but his Brainwashing is powerful, and his skills speak for themselves. In a pinch, he will make a decent bearer. As for the last, it is you, my boy.”

Izuku choked. Inko almost, _almost_ glared at the man. Toshinori smiled gently.

“I’ve had my eyes set on you pretty much since I got to meet you. Graffiti Heart is an incredible Quirk, and your heart is one of the most righteous I have seen. Not only that, aside from your academic skills, you have talents outside of school that are genuinely impressive. You gave several demonstrations today, from your singing to your dancing to the paintings you made. I believe you will do wonderfully, both as a bearer and a Symbol.”

Izuku looked away. The weight of the offer felt heavy in his chest. He didn’t know what to say.

“You are free to refuse.” Toshinori reassured. “As I said, I have two candidates beside you. But you remain my first and favorite choice. The decision is yours. I won’t force you, my boy.”

Izuku shared a look with his mother. Inko sighed.

“Thank you for not forcing him.”

“Soon, he will be my son. What father would I be if I imposed this kind of responsibility on him?”

“A poor one… and a single man.”

Izuku finally breathed.

“It’s alright. I… Thank you for telling us, Toshi-san. I mean… Dad. I accept. If you deem me worthy, I am willing to become the new bearer of One for All.”

* * *

Trivia bits:

Denki's father may share his name with Rhyme, but the spelling is different and goes thusly: 雷 無. Aside from sounding like the japanization for _lime_, the kanjis mean Thunder and Nothingness. Raimu's Quirk doesn't let him generate electricity, but he can absorb it and redirect it.

And yes, Present Mic and Eraserhead are in a Friends-With-Benefits relationship. Can't be helped, I am a big EraserMic shipper. Denki and Kyoka are also officially an item.

Finally, Izuku and Inko finally know the truth regarding Toshinori. And not only that, Izuku has agreed to receive One for All. You know what happens next chapter...

Given I can post it. I feel sick. No idea what it is yet so I won't say more until I know. Good luck, everyone. I hope you have fun.


	23. The many colors of love

Izuku looked at the shot glass. It was filled with Toshinori’s blood after Inko had rightfully pointed blood was easier to assimilate by the body than a hair. The teen took the glass and downed it. It didn’t take long for the effect to be felt.

There was a new sound in his head, and it was the polar opposite of Graffiti Heart’s cacophony.

“Oh… **Wow!**"

Toshinori gave the boy a worried look.

“My boy, are you alright?”

Izuku’s eyes were full of stars.

“I can hear One for All in my head. It is… a harmony. It’s really intricate… and there’s many sounds that make it. And it is _beautiful_. One for All is a beautiful Quirk, Dad.”

Toshinori blinked. Izuku could hear One for All? He’d had the Quirk for decades and never had he heard a single sound. But, at the same time, Graffiti Heart was an incredibly intricate Quirk that literally required a manual to use. Izuku left his seat and returned with a piece of paper. Static spread over it, taking the shape of a kaleidoscopic squiggle circled by an intricate braid made of eight strands, each of a different color: grey, blue, red, green, orange, pink, purple and yellow.

“The squiggle is Graffiti Heart.” Izuku explained. “The braid is One for All. This is how it feels in my head. I can hear One for All, and the song it makes is downright gorgeous.”

Seeing the picture, Inko and Toshinori believed him. The braid was beautiful. Izuku grinned.

“I can’t wait to try it! U.A. or the basketball field?”

“U.A.” Toshinori decided. “Nezu and Recovery Girl are both aware of One for All’s existence and my quest for a successor. They will have no issue overseeing your training. Also, I’d like the picture to be made with permanent colors. Nezu will appreciate to have a visualization of your Quirk.”

“Got it.” Izuku frowned. “Speaking of, I’ll have to tell Hitoshi, Kyoka and Denki as well, maybe even Michiro-sensei and Aizawa-sensei. Hitoshi, Kyoka and Denki have known me for years and Michiro and Aizawa are my teachers. If I start manifesting new abilities, regardless what they are, they will find it suspicious.”

Much as he hated it, Toshinori had to concede the point.

“Alright, but only them. Understood?”

“Yeah.”

Strangely enough, the night was quiet. When Izuku told his parents the next day, Toshinori laughed.

“My boy, I don’t exactly have the health for such activity!”

Inko was blushing fiercely, but she still laughed along. The teen looked at their engagement ring and it was hard to tell which shone the brightest: them or his eyes. He literally barged in the classroom with a massive grin on his face.

“**_Mom said yes!_**”

Hitoshi smiled warmly.

“About time! When’s the wedding?”

“Undecided, but hopefully soon.”

His classmates gathered to celebrate, and even Class 1-B joined in to congratulate him. Meanwhile, everyone in the teachers’ lounge noticed the engagement ring proudly hanging from the scrawny man’s neck.

“So, it’s finally official between you?”

“Yes. Now, we just need to decide a date for the wedding.”

“Well, don’t forget to invite us!” Midnight laughed.

Aizawa smiled and sighed. He had woken in Hizashi’s arms rested and smiling, not exactly a rare occurrence but their nighttime passion had been from genuine happiness rather than a need for solace, and this in itself made it noteworthy. Their first time had occurred a week after Oboro’s funerals. They had been at the Yamada household and the need for comfort had pushed them in each other’s arms. One thing had led to the other, and…

There is a reason people have sex when they’re sad: pleasure is one hell of a painkiller.

It had killed their pain, at least for the night. Then Hizashi had fallen in love with him. Too bad losing Oboro had left its scars on him. Though he could find pleasure in intimacy, there was a block in Shota’s head when it came to romance. Anything stronger than friendship terrified him to no end, kind of a problem when your best friend is crushing on you. He had cut all ties with them after U. A. in parts to avoid making such bonds. The other part was guilt over being only able to give his friend half of what he wanted.

Present Mic winked at him. He smiled back as discretely as he could. Midnight held the urge to roll her eyes. It was an open secret among the staff that Present Mic and Eraserhead were an item – for a given definition of the word. Between Yamada only having eyes for Aizawa and Aizawa refusing to form meaningful emotional bonds, the two were each-others’ sole intimate partners. As they walked to the class, Aizawa finally spoke.

“If you die, either I’ll lose the will to live and let myself waste away or I’ll go down avenging you in a blaze of glory. In any case, I won’t outlive you by much.”

Yamada smiled fondly. It was the closest his partner could ever come to a love confession. They finally reached the class, only to hear Mineta scream.

“_**HERETIC!!!**_”

The pair looked at each other and immediately entered the room. The short teenager was glaring murderously at Izuku, who was equally embarrassed and puzzled. Mineta seethed.

“How dare you!? A woman’s chest is her _pride_, Midoriya! Say such heresy again and I’ll call Exterminatus on your ass!”

Izuku blinked.

“Look, I never denied round chests are nice to look at. But, from a purely technical point of view, there’s no way they’re practical.”

Mineta snarled. Kyoka looked divided.

“I don’t think I’ve ever felt so insulted and so proud at the same time.”

Present Mic blinked.

“I think we’re missing an episode here. Or two.”

Hitoshi turned to them.

“Well, it started when they complimented Denki and Kyoka on getting together…”

_A little earlier_

Hanta winked at Denki and Kyoka.

“Congratulation on hooking up, you two! Took you long enough!”

Kyoka scoffed. Denki chuckled.

“Hey, I’ll have you know I planned this stuff for months! Writing Beneath the Mask wasn’t easy!”

Tsuburaba snickered.

“In any case, you didn’t pick her for her body. Of both classes, Jiro’s the biggest dashboard of the girls!”

Kyoka snarled.

“What did you call me!?”

Denki didn’t care.

“Bah, you know what they say: when a flat-chested girl hugs you, she holds you closer to her heart.”

Kyoka went beet red. Half the class went _Ooooohhh!_ Denki shrugged.

“Besides, I got two fathers. If I’d done as they did, I would have dated another guy, but Kyoka’s the only one I’m interested in.”

“Really?” Ibara raised a brow. “You have two fathers? Does it mean you’re adopted?”

“Nah. Mom died in childbirth and Dad remarried when I was two. As far as I remember, I always had two dads to raise me, but they made clear I was free to bring whoever I want home.”

“And you picked the dashboard.”

“Actually…” Izuku piped in. “Much as round chests are nice to look at, flat chests are much more practical. Unless having a round chest is a Quirk requirement like Momo, who needs the fat reserves, having a pair of watermelons can cause issues such as back pain and overloading. Flat chests are way better, in my opinion.”

“**_HERETIC!!!_**”

Hitoshi turned to Aizawa and Yamada and shrugged helplessly. Yamada held the urge to laugh. Aizawa rolled his eyes, but there was a tiny grin on his face. Tetsutetsu turned to Hitoshi.

“What about you? What people do you prefer?”

“I don’t care so long as they’re nice to me.” Hitoshi answered. “A lot of people call my Quirk villainous so I’m used to being met with hostility. I can’t really afford to be picky when it comes to partners, but I won’t go anywhere near anyone who treats me poorly.”

“Uh.” Ochako perked. “You’re bi? I would have pegged you for gay.”

Aizawa decided to interfere.

“Actually, the term for people like Shinso is _demiromantic_, someone who is only able to fall in love with people they share a strong emotional bond with.”

Everyone jumped to their seat, Class 1-B finding themselves embarrassed when they remembered it wasn’t their classroom. They turned to the door, only for Aizawa to raise a hand.

“Since you’re talking about romance and sexuality, might as well make it your homeroom lesson. Don’t worry, if Vlad King has a problem, we will talk things out. Stuff like that is always good to know.”

The 1-B students left only to get more seats from their class. Vlad King noticed and decided to see what it was about. When he saw Aizawa leaning next to the whiteboard with Yamada at his side and ready to teach an actual lesson, he decided it was worth letting his class join. Not only that, he ended standing by the entrance, curious about the lesson itself. Aizawa turned to his friend.

“Don’t you have a class right now?”

“Nope, first period is free today. Besides, you’ll need me for that kind of lesson.”

Point taken. Hizashi was Shota’s partner in more ways than one. It was only fitting that he would be with him as he taught.

Aizawa looked at the sitting arrangement, taking mental notes of who was with who. Naturally, being brothers, Kirishima and Tetsutetsu sat side by side. Kuroiro sat next to Tokoyami, occasionally rubbing Dark Shadow’s head. Tsuburaba and Mineta sat together, the two class perverts, while Bondo sat next to Sato and the pair started talking in hushed voices about… chocolate modelling? Yes, they were talking about crafting statues with chocolate. He was surprised to see Shiozaki sit next to Koda, the two of them falling into comfortable silence. Rin sat next to Ojiro while Tsuyu ribbited happily when Shishida sat next to her. After politely asking, Hokenuki sat next to Shoto, Kodai with Aoyama and Yanagi with Uraraka.

Tsunotori picked a seat next to Iida and Komori went with Ashido, the two girls chatting about girl business in a low voice. Kaminari and Yoarashi made a brofist before the wind manipulator sat with the blonde. Jiro gave Tokage a daring grin as the girl sat next to her. Monoma picked a seat next to Izuku, unfortunately beating Kaibara to it. The teen sat next to Shinso instead. Kendo grumbled a little and went to seat next to Yaoyorozu. Awase sat next to Sero and Shoda with Shoji while Manga sat next to Hagakure. Kamakiri went to seat next to Bakugo, a tiny blade extending from his finger. Bakugo turned away and shook his head.

‘_I am trying to play nice. **Do not** provoke me._’

Aizawa took note of the dynamics. The two classes were closer than their Second- and Third-Year elders, so it was always good to know which cliques were inter-class.

The lesson began.

“First thing first, there is a point that needs to be clarified, and it is the difference between _sexuality_ and _romantism_. The two terms **do not** mean the same thing.” Aizawa glared. “Sexuality is intimacy. Romantism is being in love.”

“But don’t you need to be in love with someone to be intimate with them?” Hagakure asked.

A handful of people scoffed, Tsuburaba and Mineta among them.

“According to the oldest profession in the world…” Yanagi shook her head. “Not necessarily. Geishas and other courtesans hardly ever fall in love with their customers. In fact, I heard this was frowned upon.”

“She is right.” Aizawa nodded. “You don’t need to be in love with someone to be intimate with them, and you can be in a committed yet chaste relationship with your significant other.”

“Weird. If I decide to sleep with someone, it’s because I love them. It wouldn’t feel right otherwise.”

“It is all to your honor.” Shiozaki smiled.

“So, as you can see, _sexuality_ and _romantism_ aren’t interchangeable. Their meanings are very different.” Aizawa continued. “Earlier, Uraraka, you told Shinso you believed he was either bi or gay and I corrected you.”

“Yes. You said he was _demiromantic_. I didn’t even know it was a word.”

“It is. _Demi_, sexual or romantic, means someone who will only seek intimacy or romance with people they share a strong emotional bond with. Gender preference doesn’t always enter the equation, though given what Shinso said, I will hazard that he doesn’t care at all.”

“You’re right.” The teen sighed. “So long as they’re nice to me, I don’t care about gender whether it is romance or intimacy. But I will only be intimate with someone I’m in love with. No love, no sex.”

“_Demisexual_ and _romantic_, then. And Hagakure would be the same since she made clear intimacy without love would feel wrong to her.”

“As for romantism…” The girl hesitated. “That would be _hetero_. I only ever had crushes on boys before, never girls. I can appreciate a nice body when I see one, but I would never fall in love with another girl.”

Mineta raised his hand.

“What would Midoriya be, then? He said he doesn’t like big chests and a lot of girls have big airbags. Does it mean you prefer men?”

Aizawa watched the teen think.

“Actually, if we were to use *scientific* terms, I would be _bisexual demiromantic_. Both genders are equally attractive to me, but I will only fall in love with someone who’s nice to me.” He turned to his best friend. “We have something in common in that regard. But you do have a point that I tend to look more at men than women. That doesn’t mean I find women unattractive. It’s just that the feature I like the most is more common among men.”

For a brief moment, Aizawa saw the purple-haired teen smile wider. His odds were starting to look really good. Yanagi raised a hand.

“If I may ask, what’s the difference between _bi_ and _pan_? I always assumed they may have the same meaning, but I might be wrong…”

Aizawa frowned.

“The definition mostly depends of your stance on gender. _Bi_ means attracted to male and female genders. _Pan_ means attracted to all genders.”

“Because there’s more than one gender?” Sero asked, puzzled.

Kendo frowned.

“If I remember, there was a pretty huge debate toward the end of the Twenty Tens regarding that issue. It was cut short by the First Covid-19 Pandemic, though. But yes, at some point, there were people arguing about the number of genders.”

“That’s silly.” Kirishima frowned. “Speaking of, I could never figure the difference between sex and gender. As far as I’m concerned, either you’re a guy or you’re a girl. That’s biology. Just look between your legs.”

Aizawa was silently glad they were having that lesson right now.

“Sex is indeed what’s between your legs. Gender is what you _think_ should be there. Transgender people are biologically a certain sex, but mentally feel like or want to be the other. Thanks to surgery some do end up switching.”

“Ah, thanks. That explains a lot… Well, no question for me. I’m a man and proud to be.”

His half-brother wholeheartedly agreed. The two teens were men physically and mentally. Aizawa kept explaining.

“This is why the difference between _bi_ and _pan_ is related to your stance on genders. If you think there are only two genders, then the two terms mean the same thing. If you believe there are more genders than just masculine and feminine, then _bi_ and _pan_ have different meanings.”

“It doesn’t help that some of us barely look human in the first place, even though we are.” Tokoyami noted and turned to Bondo, who looked down.

Aizawa silently agreed. Bondo, Cementoss, Backdraft and Kamui Woods, to name a few, had bodies that didn’t look like they were made of flesh. Ashido tilted her head.

“You know, I wasn’t expecting you to be so knowledgeable on the matter, Sensei. Given how you usually are, I thought you were… asexual? Averse to intimacy? Yeah, that’s the word. And romance, too. How comes you know so much?”

Aizawa and Yamada collectively grimaced. Way to hit the nail on the head…

“Society has norms regarding how couples are supposed to be. When it looks like you don’t fit the norm, it’s nice to have words for what you are. And, contrary to what you may believe, I am not averse to intimacy. Just ask Yamada. That was an amazing night, by the way…”

“_**Pay up, ladies!**_”

“But it’s also true that I am averse to romance. Not by choice, though.”

“What!?”

As the girls started debating on how to divide the pool, Monoma raised a brow.

“What do you mean, _not by choice?_”

Aizawa carefully considered how to answer.

“…Being a Hero is a rough life. You get hurt, not just physically but mentally as well. You look death in the eyes more often than anyone else, and such situations always leave their scars. Loss, especially of someone close to you, will always leave a mark, especially if you aren’t prepared.” His voice was so low very few heard him. “I wasn’t prepared.”

Kyoka heard him. She fought against the urge to give him a hug. Aizawa shook his head.

“I am unable to fall in love because something happened to me. _Do not_ ask me for details. The memory is painful enough as it is.”

“Then why are you and Mic together?” Ashido asked.

“Because intimacy is an amazing painkiller and, after what happened, we could both use the relief. Whether or not you love your partner, so long as it is consensual, intimacy is a very pleasant experience. But there are rules to respect when being intimate. First, remember that, no matter what your Quirk is, you are never more vulnerable than when you are naked. To show yourself that way to your partner, your trust in them must be _absolute_. Before intimacy even begins, you must be fully aware of what you are about to do because, once the deed is done, there is no turning back.”

He had a point, and even the two class perverts could respect it. Aizawa crossed his arms.

“Second, the desire for intimacy must be mutual. Both sides must want it. If one says no and the other still tries to go through with it, it’s rape.”

“What if the other person doesn’t have a choice?”

The question had come from Shoto. Aizawa frowned deeply.

“You always have a choice. You are always able to say no and resist, even if you fail.”

“Mom didn’t have a choice…”

The teacher balled his fist. The teen’s tone had been low, but he had still heard it.

“_You always have a choice._ To be denied this choice should be a crime in itself.”

Shoto felt a surge of warmth in his chest. Now more than ever, he wanted to see his father face justice for abusing his mother. Aizawa kept talking.

“Finally, whatever you do, always keep things safe. Mind your Quirk, do not injure your partner, and always respect the words _no_ and _stop_. Intimacy is supposed to bring relief and pleasure. If someone gets hurt, stop it. You are going too far. Understood?”

Both classes nodded. Aizawa looked at them.

“Intimacy should always be safe, sane and consensual. Any criteria missing will thoroughly ruin the experience.”

Everyone engraved the lesson in their memory. Even though they were Heroes in training, they were still at the age where hormones quickly got to their head. Exhibit A: the two class pervs. Exhibit B: the certified official couple. Exhibit C: a certain purple-haired teen who was dead-set on confessing to his crush as soon as he got some free time.

After thoughtful consideration, the betting girls gathered their stakes and offered them to Aizawa.

“We were betting on whether or not you and Mic were together. Since it’s yes and no in equal measure and we can’t decide how to divide the spoils, you get it.”

In a paper bag were several bags of candy, assorted snacks and a few cans. Aizawa silently decided to give it to the other teachers. At least, they hadn’t bet money. The lesson being over, class resumed normally. As soon as break occurred, Hitoshi asked Izuku to follow him to the rooftop, saying he had something to ask in private. More than a few knowing looks passed between their classmates. Neito, meanwhile, went to Denki.

“I have a problem.”

“What is it?”

Neito turned to one end of the corridor, where Itsuka was discussing with Momo.

“Itsuka’s been behaving… weirdly, these days. I always found her a bit bipolar, especially around me, but she’s been getting worse and I have no idea why.”

“Why are you asking me?” Denki wondered. “Why not go to her friends? They know her better than I do.”

“When you want to catch a fish, you don’t ask another fish. You ask the fisherman. You managed to win Kyoka. For a time, I thought I had a crush on Itsuka, but given how she’s been acting, I am starting to reconsider.”

Denki winced.

“It’s really that bad?”

Neito openly sighed.

“One moment she’s making eyes at me and the next she’s smacking my head. I have no idea where I stand with her, at all. This is getting really annoying.”

A scoff made both boys turn. Bakugo was looking at the pair, arms crossed and face in the quiet frown that had become his default expression.

“You wanna know why Kendo’s acting the way she does? She has a crush on you, Monoma. But you have the habit of getting in over your head and it terrifies her to no end, so she smacks you around to keep you out of trouble.”

Neito gave the spiky blonde a weird look.

“… Are you serious?”

“As cancer. She got a crush. Big time. Play it safer and she’ll stop hitting you. Hey, you wanted advice.”

“I admit my big mouth can get me in trouble. But that doesn’t excuse her being so brutal with me, and the sweet looks she’s giving me are not making up for it.”

“Then talk to her. Broach the issue. You think things are muddy between you? Clarify things. Tell her to either stop acting so mean or find a way to avoid making her mad. And if she still doesn’t want to give you a clear answer, leave her. Staying around people who hurt you never ends well.”

Blunt as the words were, they were still true. Neito decided to find Itsuka and follow Bakugo’s suggestion.

On the rooftop, Izuku was wondering why Hitoshi would talk to him in private. Sure, the two of them were close, but Denki and Kyoka were just as close and there were no secrets between them. The four teens shared everything without fear, and this was one of the things Izuku loved about their friendship. His decision to tell them about One for All was directly tied to this fact. The four teens trusted each other completely. To conceal the existence of the inherited Quirk and lie about its nature would be a major breach of trust.

So, knowing that, what did his closest friend have to tell him that he couldn’t say before Denki and Kyoka?

Hitoshi looked at the horizon. His nerves were killing him, and he had spent most of the morning mustering the courage to confess. It wasn’t going to be easy. Izuku was his first and closest friend, and he was worried his confession would shatter their bond. He tried reassuring himself by listing what he knew.

_Izuku had a heart of gold, being unfailingly kind to those he called his friends. It would take more than “I love you” to drive him away._

_Even though he was bisexual, he had clearly said he would only fall in love with someone he shared a close bond with. Of all people, Hitoshi was the closest to him, and being a man, he spotted the feature Izuku said he favored. If he confessed, chances were high he’d get a yes._

_Even if he said no, the two were close and Izuku was understanding. If he turned him down, it would be gently, with an explanation and an apology and Hitoshi would be free to move on to something else…_

His thoughts were interrupted by Izuku squeezing his hand.

“Hitochan? Are you alright? You’ve been spacing out for a while.”

“Sorry, just trying to phase it right and soothing my nerves. I have something to tell you… I’ve been wanting to do it for some time already, but it’s not easy at all and I’m scared of your reaction.”

Izuku smiled that cute, boyish grin that always made Hitoshi’s heart melt.

“Whatever you say, there’s no way I could get mad at you; Go ahead. Say it. I got something to tell you too, but it’s something I’d like to share with Denki, Kyoka, Aizawa and Mishiro-sensei.”

Uh? So many people meant it wasn’t a love confession. Hitoshi gulped, grit his teeth and finally spoke.

“I… I see you as more than a friend. We have been together since 4th Grade and you are the person I am closest to, my very first friend, but I see you as more than that, now. I…”

His voice failed him. The words refused to come out. Hitoshi closed his eyes and forced them out regardless.

‘_Come on, what do you have to lose? Just say it, damn it!_’

“I love you.”

There, it was out. He had said his part. The rest was entirely up to his crush. Izuku looked at him with wide green eyes. He opened his mouth, almost asked him to repeat, decided against it and held his hand tighter, digesting the words.

‘_Hitoshi loves me. Romantically. He… He… Wow. Just, wow. Yeah, that’s in character but that was… unexpected. I’m not sure I am in love with him… but he is my friend, and a precious one, at that. Regardless how I feel, I need to respect his feelings._’

After deliberation, the teen finally spoke.

“I’m not sure I love you back. I never thought about romance before or even had romantic feelings for anyone, so I can’t say I love you back. But I understand your feeling, Hitochan, and I respect them. I am… I’m flattered that you think of me that way. Thank you.” Izuku breathed. “I’m not totally sure about it… but, if I were to fall in love with someone, you would be a very good candidate. Maybe we can try taking things slow and start with dating. If we’re lucky, I’ll end up genuinely falling for you. But, in any case, if you want to, I am willing to try.”

It wasn’t the answer Hitoshi had been hoping for, but it was still a nice answer. Izuku didn’t love him, but he acknowledged his feelings, found them flattering and respected them. Not only that, he was willing to give him a chance. This was marginally better than a blunt “Not interested”.

“Works for me. So, dating?”

“Let’s start there.”

Hitoshi smiled. Izuku held his head and brought their foreheads together. It wasn’t a kiss, but it was still an affectionate gesture.

‘_I won’t kiss you because I’m not in love with you, but I still care a lot for you._’

When break ended and their classmates saw them return, they were holding hands.


	24. The power of One

Neito went to Itsuka.

“We need to talk. In private.”

Itsuka gave her friend a weird look. Neito never made a serious face like that. Most of times, either he looked smug or he had that cute, embarrassed smile that made her heart flutter. She followed him. As soon as they were out of earshot, Neito crossed his arms.

“I have a problem with you.”

No point in being subtle. He wanted honest answers, he had to ask honest questions. And, in a pinch, Bakugo’s brand of bluntness had its good sides. Itsuka held the urge to wince.

“What about? Neito, what did I do to you?”

Neito rubbed the back of his head like it was aching. The girl’s eyes widened.

“Oh, about that. Sorry, I’ll try to hit more gently. You know I don’t always know how strong I am.”

“That you hit me at all is what bothers me.” Neito retorted. “Listen, I know I have the habit of getting in over my head and I know it worries you, but do you have to _hit me_ in the first place? Why not just warm me? With words? There are other ways to express concern than by hitting people, Kendo.”

Uh oh, last names. Never a good sign. Itsuka looked down, sheepish.

“Sorry. You’re right. I’ll try not to do it anymore. But, if you could try not getting in trouble in the first place, I wouldn’t have to do it, _Monoma_.”

“Working on that bit. I’m… not used to not being the most popular guy in the school.”

Itsuka raised a brow. Neito shrugged as they walked back to the group.

“You know how it is. You’re in Junior High, you think you’re the most popular guy in the school, you think it’s going to be the same in High School so, once you get in, you act like you used to in your old school… Except no. You are no longer popular, you are no longer the best, and you have to actually fight your way back to the top of the food chain against students who have the same mindset as you do and can – and will – kick your ass if you challenge them. And you will. And you’ll suffer. I have come to terms with the fact I will never be as popular or powerful as I was in my old school. It’s just that, well, I’m still learning to assess the others. Sometimes, mistakes happen.”

Itsuka patted her shoulder. Bakugo spared the pair a look.

“Sums the change neatly, Monoma. I ran in the same problem.”

The pair turned to him. Bakugo shrugged.

“All my life, people told me I had an awesome Quirk and I was destined for greatness. Naturally, I believed them. Then Midoriya used Cacophony for the first time and completely ransacked Aldera with his Noises. First reality check…ignored. I go to Tatoin while he goes to Corelia. In Tatoin, it’s back to old habits and I’m king of the school until I go to U.A. Problem is, Midoriya got in too, and he got new tricks and new friends. I try to reassess myself as top of the food chain… _If you hurt any of my friends, I will make Aldera look like a kid’s tantrum_. Second reality check. Then the USJ happens. Then the _Sports Festival_ happens.” Bakugo tapped his crooked nose. “I’ll never be the king of the school. Not now, not ever. Explosion is all nice and dandy and I’m proud to say I’m skilled at using it, but some Quirks are plain better. Why do you think Endeavor never managed to overcome All Might?”

Neito shuddered.

“I tried to Copy Midoriya’s Quirk once, before. The storm of noise was so bad I collapsed screaming moments later. Midoriya’s Quirk is awesome, but as far as I’m concerned, the drawback isn’t worth it. Good thing he can put it in cans…”

As break ended, everyone watched Izuku and Hitoshi return hand in hand. More than a few people hooted. Denki and Kyoka grinned.

“Finally. So, he said yes?”

Izuku chuckled.

“I’m not in love… yet, so we’re dating for the time being. Speaking of, meet us after school. There’s something we need to discuss.”

“Uh. Alright, then.”

School ended. As usual, the four teens stayed together. However, this time, Aizawa also stayed with them.

“All Might told me to. He said he had information to share.”

Izuku nodded. Now, the only person missing was Michiro-sensei. The man soon joined them, accompanied by Inko who was carrying a rather heavy bag. Nezu and Recovery Girl were the last to enter the classroom. Aizawa crossed his arms and looked at All Might, who was in his muscular form.

“So, you said you had something important to tell us but you didn’t give us detail. What is it?”

“Something that concerns me and Young Midoriya. Usually…” The Symbol looked away. “Usually, this is something I would keep between the two of us, but Principal Nezu and Recovery Girl both know, and I informed Inko after we got engaged. Also, Young Midoriya raised a valid point when he said the five of you needed to know the truth.”

Hitoshi, Kyoka, Denki, Michiro and Aizawa shared a look.

“The truth? About what?”

“My Quirk.” The Hero answered. “And its nature. Sit down, this is going to be a long story.”

The group sat and listened as All Might told his tale, from the Quirk’s true name, One for All, and its origins to its nature and his decision to pass it to Izuku, something the teen had agreed on. The green-haired boy was now the current bearer of One for All, and he had figured that, despite Graffiti Heart’s various uses, the new Quirk would have too little in common with his to pass as a new ability. Guessing the five would figure out the truth sooner or later, he had convinced All Might to share the knowledge with them. To him, it was a question of trust, and he was loath to break his friends’ despite the importance of the secret.

Aizawa took a moment to digest the knowledge. All Might had shrunk during the tale to demonstrate. Now, he was watching the five. The teacher turned to him.

“Did you have anyone else in mind besides Midoriya?”

“Two more: Young Shinso and Young Togata from 3-B. But they were backup. Midoriya was my very first choice.”

Aizawa sighed heavily.

“You could have picked worse. Well, I guess I can thank you for your honesty. At least, Erasure doesn’t bother him.”

Inko laughed.

“He told me about it. He said he found the silence relieving.”

“I know. He almost fell asleep when I used it.”

Nezu stretched his paws.

“We are going to test it. I know you usually use the basketball field close to the Midoriya home, but Gym Gamma is wider and easier to repair. It’s more appropriate. Midoriya, fetch your gym uniform. Honda-san, you’re free to come along since you’re one of his teachers.”

“Michiro-sensei is everyone’s Sensei.” Hitoshi grinned.

The courier shrugged.

“I’ll tag. Best that I know what kiddo is capable of before he uses it at the field or Shadda’s Crossing.”

So, the group headed to the gym. Inko’s bag turned to contain drinks and snacks, a common sight for the basketball field regulars. She, Recovery Girl and Nezu sat by the side while the rest of the group stood by Izuku. The teen closed his eyes.

The harmony was singing in his head, a counterpoint to Graffiti Heart’s cacophony. There was something to be said about the way the two Quirks contrasted each other. He remembered how All Might used One for All, the way it made his body morph not unlike the way he used Apotheosis. He seized the harmony as a whole, not the individual strings but the whole braid, and let it flow over his body.

Green static covered his body. For a brief moment, Izuku focused it on the ground and let colors spring to life. When the static refocused on him, the teen was surrounded by an intricate braid of eight strands. All Might recognized the picture.

“This is what One for All sounds like in your head: a harmony of eight different sounds. My boy, mind completing the picture with Graffiti Heart?”

Izuku nodded. Soon, the area under his feet was covered by a kaleidoscopic squiggle. Aizawa raised a brow.

“_That_ is what Graffiti Heart sounds like? No wonder he likes when I use Erasure.”

Izuku raised a hand. Michiro frowned.

“Remember, kid: baby steps. You get a new ability, you start small. This way, the collateral damage will be limited if you lose control.”

Izuku smiled.

“I know, Sensei.”

This was why he went for a flick instead of a punch. The wind blast generated tore a gash in the ground. Denki whistled. Then he saw Izuku shake his hand while hissing.

“Damn, it hurt!”

Indeed, his index was ruined. Recovery Girl kissed it.

“One for All holds an impressive amount of power, but that doesn’t mean its current wielder is durable enough to handle it. You’re lucky all your free-running, dancing and hero-ing so far made you tougher, boy, but your body is clearly not resilient enough to handle its full strength.”

Izuku mulled over the words.

“The durability part can be arranged. But the full strength…”

Michiro tilted his head.

“You refer to both Graffiti Heart and One for All as music. Have you tried calibrating the volume, before? I mean: you can turn sound on and off, but not only. You can also decide how intense it is.”

Izuku turned to him.

“…Doable in theory. Calibrating One for All’s power output like I calibrate the volume of music. That’s an appropriate comparison, but to see if it’s doable… First, though, for the durability, Apotheosis is much more resilient than my fleshy body.”

He focused Graffiti Heart in his arm and watched it transform. Then he overlaid One for All on top of it. After a moment, the teen spread the harmony to his whole body.

“It feels more natural this way.”

He would simply have to be cautious. He made a point of only moving his transformed arm and flicked a finger again. The gash was even deeper. The whole group gulped.

“At least, the limb wasn’t damaged. Still, kid? Learn to calibrate the volume _first and foremost!_ Apotheosis is already tough. Top it off with One for All? I’m pretty sure you could fight All Might to a standstill.”

So, the next two hours were spent learning to moderate the Quirk’s power output. Michiro had been right: it felt like calibrating volume. They didn’t try kicks, punches or any offensive move. After seeing the damage a mere flick could cause, both transformed and untransformed, the adults had collectively agreed making sure Izuku was in control took top priority. Baby steps, the courier had said. This means most of the session was spent moving around and making different motions. Boring, but better that than a broken limb.

Nezu looked at the picture on the ground.

“Eight bearers. Eight strings. I wonder if there is a connection.”

Every day afterwards, as soon as school was over, the group spent two hours at the gym to help Izuku train his new Quirk. Despite being a courier, Michiro still joined by virtue of being Izuku’s oldest mentor, and thus the one with the best insight regarding the teen.

One week later, Izuku could move around normally with One for All at 15%. Michiro had vetoed the combination of One for All and Apotheosis until the teen’s mastery was at 50%. Aizawa was mildly annoyed that Izuku listened to the man more than him. By the second week, the teen began sparring with All Might. The Symbol of Peace was pleased by his surrogate son’s swift progress.

“Well, Graffiti Heart has several similarities with One for All.” Inko pointed. “Sweetie has his past experiences to rely on.”

The Final Exams were coming and the U.A. staff was busy setting it up. The written part was easy. The practical part, however, was always a bit more problematic…

Somehow, Izuku, Hitoshi, Kyoka and Denki overheard Amelia pester about something.

“Problem?”

“You brats tell me! You know the story: contrary to popular belief, not everything is online. If I want to access a databank, I need to plug myself in. Go do that when the server is in the full middle of a Villain lair and heavily guarded by Quirks and guns in equal measure, and you don’t want to be spotted! My Quirk is Technopathy, not bloody Invisibility!”

The four teens left her and convened. Kyoka shook her head.

“Bad idea. Even if we stormed the place, without a Hero License, it would count as vigilantism.”

“Then we’ll have to do it the sneaky way.” Denki grinned. “Remember what she taught us?”

Hitoshi snickered.

“Aizawa-sensei and I used the pizza last time. We’ll have to go with the clipboard. As for the proper uniform…”

Static danced over Izuku.

“That can easily be arranged.”

A few days later, Amelia was surprised to enter her office and find a very specific server, complete with a scribbled note.

Clipboard + shapeshifting uniform + janitor’s key =  
Don’t get found, don’t get caught.  
Have fun!

Amelia barged in the teachers’ lounge and slammed the note in All Might’s lap.

“Do me a favor and ground these brats, will you?”

Aizawa raised a brow as All Might choked on his blood. Then the Pro showed him the note and the teacher folded his sleeves.

“Right behind you.”

The pair left. The rest of the teachers, Nezu included, rushed to grab the note. Putting two and two elicited reactions ranging from snicker to exasperation. The principal chuckled.

“Cancel our current practical exam. I know exactly what to do.”

Everyone turned to him.

“And what will it be?” Thirteen dared to ask.

“Stealth recovery.”

Aizawa was miffed by the change of plan, especially since the idea had come from the Foursome’s crazy stunt. And yet, when Nezu explained the logic behind, he had to admit the idea was good.

“Overpowering a Villain is one thing.” The Principal explained to the gathered Class 1-A & B. “Outsmarting them is something else. This exercise will test your ability to outthink your opponent by recovering an item they’re guarding. Naturally, violence is forbidden… not that I believe you stand a chance against us teachers. The rules are as follow.”

_Every student will be paired in a tandem and given a specific item to recover from a teacher. Naturally, they will be given both its nature and location._   
_Quirks are allowed, but violence is strictly forbidden. This is a **stealthy** recovery._   
_The students have one week. Any mean is fine so long as it doesn’t involve fighting the teachers._   
_Being caught doesn’t mean the pair is out. They can try as many times as they want so long as they follow the rules and retrieve the item before the end of the week._   
_It must be a team effort. Both students must be involved in the recovering process instead of one doing all the work. This said, the rule is laxer for those whose recovery involve pickpocket._

On paper, simple. In practice, as each student did some math, not so much. Nezu gave the pairings.

Izuku Midoriya & Hitoshi Shinso – Tenya Iida & Momo Yaoyorozu – Toru Hagakure & Mashirao Ojiro – Denki Kaminari & Kyoka Jiro – Katsuki Bakugo & Shoto Todoroki – Tsuyu Asui & Ochako Uraraka – Eijiro Kirishima & Mina Ashido – Yuga Aoyama & Hanta Sero – Mezo Shoji & Minoru Mineta – Rikido Sato & Koji Koda – Fumikage Tokoyami & Shihai Kuroiro – Itsuka Kendo & Neito Monoma – Ibara Shiozaki & Kinoko Komori – Inasa Yoarashi & Juzo Honenuki – Yui Kodai & Setsuna Tokage – Hiryu Rin & Reiko Yanagi – Pony Tsunotori & Jurota Shishida – Kosei Tsuburaba & Sen Kaibara – Yosetsu Awase & Togaru Kamakiri – Nirengeki Shoda & Manga Fukidashi – Kojiro Bondo & Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu

As for the items…

Izuku Midoriya & Hitoshi Shinso = Pair of earrings from Ectoplasm’s desk  
Tenya Iida & Momo Yaoyorozu = Gemstone in Power Loader’s supply  
Toru Hagakure & Mashirao Ojiro = Brooch from Eraserhead  
Denki Kaminari & Kyoka Jiro = Brooch from Vlad King’s desk  
Katsuki Bakugo & Shoto Todoroki = Ring from Present Mic  
Tsuyu Asui & Ochako Uraraka = Brooch from Cementoss  
Eijiro Kirishima & Mina Ashido = Necklace from Snipe’s desk  
Yuga Aoyama & Hanta Sero = Pair of earrings from Cementoss’s desk  
Mezo Shoji & Minoru Mineta = Gemstone in Recovery Girl’s office  
Rikido Sato & Koji Koda = Bracelet from Thirteen  
Fumikage Tokoyami & Shihai Kuroiro = Bracelet from All Might  
Itsuka Kendo & Neito Monoma = Gem from Midnight’s desk  
Yui Kodai & Setsuna Tokage = Bracelet from Thirteen’s desk  
Inasa Yoarashi & Juzo Honenuki = Earrings from Snipe  
Ibara Shiozaki & Kinoko Komori = Bracelet from Present Mic’s desk  
Hiryu Rin & Reiko Yanagi = Brooch from All Might’s desk  
Pony Tsunotori & Jurota Shishida = Gemstone from Vlad King  
Kojiro Bondo & Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu = Ring from Midnight  
Yosetsu Awase & Togaru Kamakiri = Ring from Eraserhead’s desk  
Kosei Tsuburaba & Sen Kaibara = Brooch from Ectoplasm.  
Nirengeki Shoda & Manga Fukidashi = Earrings from Power Loader

Eijiro and his brother shared a look.

“Wait, you’re saying we’ll have to pickpocket you!?”

“For those whose target item is on the teacher, yes.” Nezu grinned. “Remember: Quirks are allowed. Violence isn’t. This exam is all about subtlety.”

The pair turned to Tokoyami and Kuroiro.

“Pickpocketing All Might… Good luck, guys. You’re going to need it.”

The two teens in black were seriously lacking in self-assurance at the moment. Everyone understood. Rin and Yanagi also felt nervous. They wouldn’t have to be close to the Symbol of Peace to rob his desk, but they would still have to raid his belongings. They weren’t looking forward to it, not the slightest. Nezu chuckled.

“Beginning is tomorrow. Have fun…”

“Principal Rodent.” Mineta huffed.

Thus began one of the most memorable events of U.A.


	25. Stealth Recovery Exam

Music tracks:  
\- [Green Onions (Booker T & the MG's)](https://youtu.be/0oox9bJaGJ8)  
\- [The Mission Impossible Theme](https://youtu.be/XAYhNHhxN0A)  
\- [The Breakfast Machine (Garry Elfman)](https://youtu.be/KoLOtsm_Jow)  
\- [Curb your Enthusiasm Theme](https://youtu.be/Ag1o3koTLWM)  
\- [Soul Bossa Nova (Quincy Jones)](https://youtu.be/T5ALPzS0QfQ)  
\- [Town (The Idolm@ster)](https://youtu.be/CrRktFXNkr0)

Take your pick, so long as it makes you laugh.

* * *

**Izuku Midoriya and Hitoshi Shinso**

Naturally, the pair was the first to move. Toshinori was now spending every night at the Midoriya household, to the point he was pretty much living there. Retrieving the teachers’ timetable while he and his mother were busy was simple. From there, establishing a plan of action was easy. They patiently waited that Ectoplasm was busy teaching Class 1-B, then…

“Mic-sensei?”

“Yes, Little Listener?”

“_Go sit on the chair and don’t move._”

Brainwashed, Present Mic obeyed. Izuku and Hitoshi lost no time bolting from the classroom and to Ectoplasm’s office. Fortunately, to avoid students peering into teacher-only papers, the items had been placed in preset cabinets… which happened to be locked. Not that it stopped the pair. Hitoshi had long learned to pick locks to escape his home. Picking Ectoplasm’s lock took all of one minute. In and out, the pair went back… to find Yuga and Hanta missing. The pair shrugged and decided to wait until they returned. As soon as they were back, Hitoshi snapped his teacher who sighed.

“Let me guess, Ectoplasm is missing a pair of earrings.”

Izuku proudly showed him the items. As soon as school was over, Ectoplasm went to take them to Nezu. When he saw he wasn’t the only one to have had his item stolen, he turned to Mic.

“They did what, exactly?

“Shinso Brainwashed me. I guess their classmates saw their chance to sneak out.”

And indeed…

**Yuga Aoyama and Hanta Sero**

As soon as Present Mic was Brainwashed, the pair ran behind Izuku and Hitoshi and made a beeline to Cementoss’s office. Finding the right cabinet was easy… because it was sealed with concrete. Not a single lock to pick anywhere.

“Guess we’ll have to blast it open.” Hanta shrugged.

Yuga winced.

“_Mon cher_, much as I wouldn’t mind using my laser to open this box, I am afraid the blast would tear through the concrete and everything inside and behind.”

Hanta gave the box a second look.

“Yeah, that might be overkill. You’re sure you can’t calibrate the strength of your blast?”

Yuga shook his head. Hanta decided to cut the middle man and shook the box. It parted from the desk. A grin crossed his face.

“Well, this is going to simplify things. Follow me.”

They hurried outside and Yuga lifted his top to reveal his belt. The laser blast was just a glancing blow. It was enough to tear a hole in one of the corners. After some shuffling, the black-haired teen retrieved the earrings.

“I hope Shinso waited for us.”

“_Pressons-nous_, then!”

They decided against returning to Cementoss’s office and kept the concrete box with them, Hanta making a point of patching the hole with his tape. When Cementoss saw the missing concrete box, he sighed.

“I wonder how they did it. In any case, that was cleaner than I thought.”

Then, as school ended, he saw Ectoplasm head to Class 1-A’s classroom.

“You too?”

“Me too. Lock was picked.”

As they took the four teens to Nezu…

**Tsuyu Asui and Ochako Uraraka**

Ochako turned to Tsuyu.

“Now!”

Tsuyu’s tongue darted. Fortunately, Cementoss didn’t have many pockets. The frog girl found the brooch on her first attempt. Mic noticed. He counted to thirty before warning his coworker.

“Ken, check your pockets. I think you’re missing something.”

Cementoss complied and could only take note of the theft.

“Uraraka, Asui, you win. Come over there.”

The two girls sauntered along the boys. They were heading to Nezu’s office when they caught All Might petting Dark Shadow. The group instantly tensed. Sure enough…

**Fumikage Tokoyami and Shihai Kuroiro**

Tokoyami shook his head.

“This is hopeless. Pickpocketing? All Might, of all people? Truly, this is a herculean task.”

Kuroiro paced.

“There has to be a way. All Might is strong, true enough. Physically, no one in Japan can match him. But this exam is about subtlety.”

“So, outsmarting him? How are we supposed to do that? He has decades of experience on us. What could we do that he hasn’t seen before?”

Kuroiro absent-mindedly caressed Dark Shadow. Inspiration struck.

“Kindness. _This_ is how we are going to blindside him.”

And so, Dark Shadow found itself begging the Symbol of Peace for rubs. The Hero was happy to provide, and proved surprisingly gentle as he petted the entity. So busy he was, he didn’t notice Kuroiro’s hand sneaking from Dark Shadow’s stomach and make a beeline for the bracelet hanging on his belt. As soon as the item was taken, the entity thanked All Might and returned to his partner, who walked away like nothing happened. As soon as he was out of sight, Ectoplasm looked at the Symbol.

“Check your belt.”

All Might checked his belt. His smile fell. The whole group froze. The Symbol glared at the corridor Tokoyami had used. His smile returned.

“Wait for me, I shall be back soon.”

Meanwhile, once he was out of sight, Tokoyami summoned his partner and let Kuroiro exit it. The black-skinned teen looked at his prize.

“I can’t believe it worked!”

“We did it, my friend. We robbed All Might himself, the Symbol of Peace.”

There was a beat. Then the three broke into a little victory dance.

“_We pickpocketed the Symbol of Peace~_”

“That you did, my boys.”

The two teens tripped on their feet and turned to All Might, who was towering over them.

“Don’t worry.” The Hero reassured. “You won. Come with me, please.”

And so, it was eight teens and four teachers who entered Nezu’s office. The Principal raised a brow.

“That many on the first day alone? And one of them was All Might, at that. So, tell me everything…”

The teens did. Nezu chuckled.

“Congratulation, you all pass. Well thought and well done.”

The teens left, giddy. The teachers were noticeably less happy, Cementoss looking outright embarrassed.

“Losing both items in the same day. If it doesn’t happen to someone else, I’ll have confidence issue.”

Alone in his office, Nezu allowed himself a bout of fierce cackling.

“I love it when several gambits fire off at once. Especially when they pile up!”

When their classmates heard Tokoyami and Kuroiro were successful, they were awed. The pair quickly became popular, both for their courage and their cleverness, and earned themselves the admiration of a good part of the school. However, their classmates weren’t about to let themselves be upstaged…

_The next day_

**Tenya Iida and Momo Yaoyorozu**

Power Loader was checking his supplies during break when Tenya and Momo came to find him.

“Sensei.” The busty teen grinned. “We won.”

Power Loader took a cursory look at the gemstone she was holding.

“A decent effort, but there are flaws in your copy.”

To prove his point, he took the true gem from his cabinet, a spherical diamond, and put the two side by side.

“You got the shape and the general look, I will give you that. However, you used glass to make yours, hence a difference in weight and a noticeable alteration in the way light passes through…”

The pair started to argue. As they did, as always, Tenya agitated his hands. It was a tic of his that his classmates loved teasing him about. It was friendly teasing, though.

It also allowed him to switch the two gems without Power Loader noticing.

“Fine, Sensei, you win. Sorry. We will try again another time.”

“It was a good effort, I will give you that. Good luck next… time…”

The teacher weighted the gem twice. Too late, Tenya and Momo were already out. The teacher sighed.

“I take it back. Well played.”

Outside the room, Momo patted the gemstone currently residing in her pocket.

**Ibara Shiozaki and Kinoko Komori**

Present Mic looked at the chocolates the two girls were offering.

“For me? Really? Thank you very much, Little Listeners!"

He lost no time munching on the treats. Half an hour later, he was hurrying to the bathroom as his stomach felt like bears were fighting inside. While he was busy emptying it, Ibara picked the lock.

“May the Lord forgive us for this trickery. Are you sure your mushrooms are harmless?”

“Don’t worry. The worst lurid bolete does when eaten raw is nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps and diarrhea. He will fully recover within twenty-four hours.”

Ibara decided to trust her and retrieved the bracelet. Naturally, Yamada was none too happy with the stunt.

“This was borderline.” Nezu chided the two girls. “Tampering with food and drinks is perfectly fine, but making your teacher sick is cutting really close to the line. I will accept it this time, but I strongly suggest you are more careful from then on.”

“Of course, Principal.”

**Rikido Sato and Koji Koda**

Thirteen was eating lunch by the windowsill when a few birds perched on her arms. That the creatures weren’t afraid surprised her. Still, as she sipped her drink through a hole in her suit, she couldn’t help petting a dove that cooed in pleasure.

So busy was she admiring the animals’ friendliness, she didn’t notice a squirrel go through her pouches and retrieve the bracelet. The animals returned to Koda, who expectantly turned to Sato. The buff teen took a bag of high-quality cereals.

“Here you go, just as promised.”

The animals enjoyed the feast as Thirteen finished her lunch, unaware of the robbery. Then she returned to her office and…

“_**Aaaaaaaaahhh**_”

**Yui Kodai and Setsuna Tokage**

Setsuna sighed.

“Can’t be helped. I tried every trick I knew, but forcing doors isn’t my specialty. We’ll have to find someone else.”

“Risky.” Yui frowned. “We are on a schedule.”

“And fetching someone would take too long. I guess we’ll have to take the desk with us, then. Size it down?”

The girl complied. And so, when Thirteen went back to her office, she found a key component missing. Meanwhile, the two girls had reunited with their classmates. Yui took the shrunk desk from her pocket and brought it back to size.

“Anyone knows how to pick a lock?”

Hitoshi did. When a distraught Thirteen came finding Yui and Setsuna, the girls returned the desk… but not the bracelet.

_The next day_

The sky was clear, the sun was shining, the birds were singing… All in all, the day shaped to be great. And then…

**Denki Kaminari and Kyoka Jiro**

“[_It’s a small world after all ~ It’s a small world after all ~_](https://youtu.be/CbIhYhrOJAg)”

Present Mic jumped to the ceiling.

“**_Turn that bloody fucking music off!!!_**”

The teachers were all in various state of indignation, and they weren’t the only ones. Every loudspeaker in U.A. was blasting the annoying song, and students and teachers were all reacting with varied amounts of panic and anger. All in all, the whole school was like a kicked anthill. As Amelia seized back control of the sound system, more than a few people made full use of the confusion.

Denki waited until everyone was running everywhere to sneak into Vlad King’s office, thank Hitoshi for showing him how to pick locks and retrieve the brooch. When he and Kyoka presented their spoil to the teacher, the Blood Hero outright dragged them to Nezu’s office, where the rest of the staff was waiting.

“On one hand, you passed. On the other hand, I believe I speak for the entire staff when I tell you this: **detention**.** One month**.”

Denki and Kyoka shared a look.

“Worth it.”

Then several teachers noticed their pockets felt oddly light…

**Pony Tsunotori & Jurota Shishida, Kosei Tsuburaba and Sen Kaibara, Nirengeki Shoda and Manga Fukidashi**

Vlad King, Ectoplasm and Power Loader checked their pockets. Sure enough, their item was missing. Ectoplasm sighed.

“Of course. The mayhem that song caused, I’m not surprised some people jumped on the occasion. They must have used the confusion.”

All three groups passed.

**Kojiro Bondo & Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu**

The day was ending when Tetsutetsu and his partner made their move.

“You sure you don’t mind, Lil’ Bro?”

“Not the slightest, Big Bro.” Eijiro reassured. “If anything, that we’re brothers will make it even more tempting. At least, that’s what Mina told me when I asked for tips.”

Class 1-B’s last period was art history with Midnight. The two teens strolled seductively to their teacher, the bottom of their shirt untucked to reveal the barest hint of their abs while their tie was a little looser than necessary.

“Sensei? We have questions about that lesson you gave…”

Their voice was suave – or, at least, they tried to. The two brothers had too little experience in seduction to do it decently. Naturally, Midnight saw right through them.

‘_Going the distraction-by-sexiness way, uh? Let me guess, Bondo is going to steal the ring the moment he deems me properly distracted. An honest effort, I’ll give you that. And kudos for the choice of target. That little stunt would have never worked on Shota or Thirteen._’

So, she played along. The two brothers did their best, that much she could admit. She answered in the same seductive tone, spreading her legs as the two boys surreptitiously untucked more of their shirt and flexed their muscles. It was a game of who could “seduce” the other, and Midnight was way beyond the brothers. But they tried. The teacher could see the effort they put in the act. So, when Bondo plucked the ring from her purse, even though she noticed, she didn’t react.

“I was in on you the whole time.” She told them sincerely in Nezu’s office. “But the effort you put in it was worth a mention, so I let you win. As far as first attempts go, this was a decent one.”

The two brothers were as red as Kirishima’s hair. Bondo was on the sides, completely uninterested. It wasn’t like _he_ could do it, anyway.

Then Midnight offered them tips.

“You are both handsome and manly. Intelligence through seduction is something you can definitely attempt. You just need to refine your acting.”

_The next day…_

**Toru Hagakure and Mashirao Ojiro**

Sometimes, the simplest methods are the best. While Ojiro asked Aizawa about practical training, a fully-naked Hagakure used the distraction to snatch the brooch and put it in her mouth. Aizawa jumped and looked around. Hagakure stood very, _very_ still, her breathing as quiet as possible. Eventually, Aizawa sighed and left the class. As soon as he was out, the girl put back her clothes and spat back the item, taking the time to clean it. Todoroki and Bakugo missed none of it.

**Katsuki Bakugo and Shoto Todoroki**

The blonde looked at the invisible girl.

“I wonder… Todoroki, how much pocket money does your dad give you?”

“I need to check my account.”

The pair went to the computer room. Bakugo outright whistled when he saw how much the bi-colored teen had.

“1 000 000 Yen!? You’re loaded!”

“It’s not like I have anything to spend it on. What’s your idea?”

Bakugo checked his bank account. 260 000 Yen. Pretty good so far.

“There’s no way either of us is going to get that ring from Mic-sensei without using violence. Let’s be honest: none of us is subtle. But others are. You’ve seen how Hagakure evaded Eraser-sensei. If she can evade him, she can evade Present Mic. We just need to give her a reason to do the work for us.”

“Bribe.” Shoto understood.

“Exactly.”

The pair came to find the girl, who was chatting with Ojiro. Hagakure’s posture tilted. Bakugo crossed his arms.

“Hagakure, how much would you accept to pickpocket the ring from Present Mic?”

It took the girl a moment to register what the blonde was asking.

“Wait, you want me to retrieve your item for you!?”

“Yes, and we are willing to pay you for it. Name your price.”

Hagakure considered.

“…10 000 Yen. Cash.”

“Deal. We don’t have the money on us so you’ll get it tomorrow. First half up front. Second half once we got the ring.”

“Works for me.”

**Mezo Shoji and Minoru Mineta**

At the same time, Mineta decided to take one for the team and folded his sleeves.

“Are you sure it’s a good idea?” Shoji asked, nervous.

“We need a reason to go see Recovery Girl. This is the quickest way.”

“But not the most painless.”

“No pain, no gain. Wait here.”

Then he walked straight to Itsuka, whose back was on him and was chatting with Neito, and smacked her rear. The pair turned and delivered an absolutely murderous glare to the dwarf. A double-Jumbo Fist sent him flying through the air. Shoji dutifully picked him up and took him to Recovery Girl. While the elder woman nursed his wounds, Shoji discretely picked the cabinet’s lock with a secondary pair of hands, additional eyes watching in his back while he was turned to the elder nurse.

Recovery Girl never noticed a thing.

As they looked at the blue gemstone, Mineta crossed his arms.

“Let it never be said I can’t be self-sacrificing when I have to.”

**Itsuka Kendo and Neito Monoma**

The day was coming to an end when Vlad King received an email from Monoma during break, apparently about due homework. As soon as he opened it, something popped from it that went straight to the email box of the other teachers. Then all emails opened their content at once.

“[_Never gonna give you up ~ Never gonna let you down ~ Never gonna run around and desert you ~_](https://youtu.be/o6piTG5EdhQ)”

Every single teacher turned to Vlad King, who helpfully provided them with the culprit.

“Monoma.”

They all bolted at once. Neito was waiting for them in the computer room. While the teachers scolded him, the teen smirked.

“Aren’t you forgetting something? This is a team effort. Guess what Itsuka’s doing right now.”

Midnight froze and swore. She ran from the room at full speed. Unfortunately, by the time she reached her office, the green gem was gone – and so was the cabinet’s door.

**Eijiro Kirishima and Mina Ashido, Yosetsu Awase and Togaru Kamakiri**

When they saw the teachers go after Neito, the two groups saw their chance and dived in the right office. Both soon met with problems.

“What material did he use for that cabinet!? My acid is doing nothing!”

Eijiro Hardened a finger and poked the door, then winced when the acid bit him instead. Awase and Kamakiri peeked from the door.

“Can’t open it either?”

“He layered the inside of the door with glue. My blade got stuck, so I had to break it.” Kamakiri winced.

The four traded looks. Then they traded targets. Mina’s acid tore through the wood and the glue while Kamakiri sliced through the cabinet’s door. Once both items were retrieved, they were given to their rightful owner. Snipe and Eraserhead, upon seeing the damage, put two and two and sighed.

“Well, that’s one way to do it.”

_The next day…_

**Hiryu Rin and Reiko Yanagi, Inasa Yoarashi and Juzo Honenuki**

Rin looked at his partner.

“Are you sure it will be enough?”

“My parents own a pharmacy. Based on All Might’s build and given his Quirk doesn’t make him immune to drugs, they were able to establish the proper amount of sleeping aids required to put him to sleep. We just need to wait.”

Rin sighed.

“Let’s hope it works.”

During break, Yanagi offered the Symbol of Peace a thermos of green tea. The Hero warmly thanked them and savored the drink… Then a passing Snipe got curious and All Might offered to share. The two teens shared a worried look.

“Yeah, and about Snipe?”

“It… shouldn’t be lethal. Normally. I hope.”

Yoarashi and Honenuki, who had been tailing the teacher for an opening, saw him drink. Then he collapsed. All Might did the same soon after, puffs of steam slowly rising from his body. The two pairs shared a look.

“Let’s hurry!”

Yoarashi rummaged through Snipe’s pockets while Rin and Yanagi picked the cabinet’s lock. Both pairs hightailed it the other way as soon as their item was recovered. Aizawa passed them, wondered what the hurry was about and found Snipe, a shrinking All Might and the thermos of drugged tea. He pestered under his breath when carrying even a shrunken Toshinori turned to be difficult. Not only was the man bony, he was also heavier than his emaciated form suggested.

In the end, Recovery Girl reassured the teens. Snipe slept like a log for twenty-four hours, but he still woke up. The teens swore it was an accident. The teacher believed them, especially after All Might pointed the thermos had been for _him_. If anything, it was the Symbol’s mistake.

**Katsuki Bakugo and Shoto Todoroki, part two**

Hagakure counted the cash and nodded at the two boys. Without her clothes, Present Mic never noticed her, not even as she carefully checked his pockets for the ring. As soon as the item was retrieved, she dressed back, cleaned it and handed it to the teens, who handed her the second half of the money. Then they went to find the teacher.

“Little Listeners? Come to steal my item? Remember, no violence is allowed.”

“We already got it, Sensei.”

On this, Todoroki showed him the ring. Mic spent five minutes checking his pockets. He came empty-ended.

“How!?” The teacher asked. “You never went anywhere around me! How did you do it?”

“We bribed Hagakure.”

One trip to Nezu later, the Principal gleefully confirmed that yes, bribing worked.

“Paying someone to obtain information or items one cannot obtain through regular means is a valid way to proceed, and Hagakure didn’t use violence. It counts, and it was clever thinking on your part. And yes, the loophole was on purpose. After all, when Kirishima, Ashido, Awase and Kamakiri hit a snag retrieving their own items, they didn’t hesitate to switch targets then trade the items back. If you can’t do something, find someone who can to do it for you.”

In the end, everyone passed, and Amelia made a blooper reel of the whole mess. Only those in U.A. could see it, and the students’ family were allowed to watch if they bothered to visit the school, but still. Everyone found it funny.

As far as All Might was concerned, it was all that mattered. There were many ways to make people smile.

* * *

For information and before anyone gapes at the sums:

1 000 000 yen = 9 383,656 USD  
260 000 yen = 2439,75 USD  
10 000 yen = 93,8366 USD  
5 000 yen = 46,9183 USD

I'll be honest. I had this one planned for awhile.


	26. Love is blind

Life isn’t fair, this is something everyone learns sooner or later.

Summer was coming, and so was break. The U.A. staff was working on plans concerning each Hero class. Most second and third years would go on Work Study, with the first years training to improve their Quirks. The question, as always, was what to do. That evening, Shota and Hizashi went home and spend the night in each other’s arms. The next day, they went back to school and…

“Aizawa?” Nezu asked. “I have grim news for you.”

Aizawa froze in his steps.

“What is it?”

“One of your students, Mashirao Ojiro. Last evening, he and his family went to a small restaurant to celebrate him passing the Exam.” The Principal winced. “A Villain attacked. He was arrested, but all three Ojiros suffered injuries during the scuffle. They are currently in Calamari General Hospital. No word of their injuries except their lives are no longer on the line.”

Aizawa momentarily lost balance.

One of his students. Injured. Not lethally, but someone had attacked one of his students as a civilian. Not even as a Hero-in-training. _As a civilian_. An average Taro. Wrong place, wrong time, no costume and they were in the hospital. The thought made him sick.

Strong arms gripped him and straightened him. He barely heard Nezu’s next words.

“Midnight agreed to replace you. Go. I figured you would be worried.”

The Hero bolted. He was at the hospital not an hour later. The receptionist didn’t miss the panic in his eyes.

“Who are you looking for?”

“Ojiro. Mashirao… Awate and Takeshi.”

“This way.”

He was guided through corridors until they reached a single room where the three Ojiros were kept.

“What’s their status?”

His voice was broken. He didn’t have the strength to straighten it. His whole body was in the grip of ice-cold dread. The doctor answered him.

“The father, Takeshi, is arguably the worst off. When the windows broke, some shards cut several veins, including the carotid artery. The only reason he didn’t die is because his wife staunched the bleeding the best she could. He is still suffering from blood loss… and we can’t ask for donation from his family since they were also injured and need their blood.” The doctor turned to another bed. “Awate got off better than her husband, but she was still injured by the glass of the windows and wood from the tables and chairs. Her wounds worsened from her efforts trying to keep her husband alive, but it was nothing we couldn’t mend.”

“And their son?”

“Mashirao?” The doctor winced. “He got several cuts from the debris, but the worst injuries are located to his eyes. When the windows burst apart… I’m sorry, Sir. The debris shredded his eyes. We had to surgically remove the remains.”

Aizawa gripped the wall to avoid falling on his knees. The doctor helpfully guided him to a chair.

“If you don’t mind me asking, who are you, exactly? Our receptionist is an empath, so we trust her judgment when requesting a guide, but that doesn’t tell us who you are.”

Wordlessly, Aizawa showed him his Pro Hero card. The doctor blinked as he put two and two together.

“He’s your student, right?”

“Yes.”

The doctor left him. Aizawa wept.

By some miracle, he managed to return to U.A. It wasn’t to teach, though. There was someone there he needed, and it didn’t take him long to find him. The moment Yamada saw his friend’s face, he understood, took his hand and dragged him in a lounge. Then he removed his speakers and let Aizawa curl in his arms. The brunette struggled to find his voice.

“It shouldn’t have happened.”

“The incident or…”

“The grief. I shouldn’t feel like that. But I do. I got attached. And then they got hurt and…”

He didn’t need to finish. His friend held him tight. He kept talking.

“I remember… after Oboro. The pain, the sorrow, the emptiness… It hurt, Hiza. _It hurt so much_… Never again, I decided. I would… never be hurt like this again. I couldn’t take it, the pain. So, I steeled myself. Isolated myself. If I… If I have no one, only me… I can’t lose anyone, like I lost him. I won’t feel pain. _But you refused_.” Aizawa sobbed. “You reached out, you… and Nemuri. You called to me. You brought me there, made me a teacher. It… Some days, it’s worse. There is… always, always this gnawing fear. That I might lose them. That I might… see them hurt. Like Oboro. He… He wasn’t even a Hero. Only a student. He still died. It’s… It’s not fair. I know that… That life isn’t fair. But it doesn’t help. I hate it. I hate it, Hiza, _I hate it!_”

He pounded his chest. Yamada didn’t care. He simply held him, not even saying a word. There was nothing to say in this case. All he could do was being there and let his closest friend, his love, mourn and vent his pain. It took a while for Aizawa to calm down.

“I still think… I still think me becoming a teacher was a mistake. I’m not fit for it. But you know what really angers me? The Villain didn’t even directly target him. He and his family… They were collateral damage. They were at the wrong place at the wrong time. This is what I hate the most. This kind of accident… it could happen to anyone. We don’t become magically immune to Villain attacks the moment we leave our costume.”

This was a fact a lot of Heroes tended to forget. Events like these served as reality checks. Yamada stroked his hair.

“Your students aren’t taking it well, either. Kayama let a lot of them call their family just to make sure they were safe. They all were, by the way. Nothing to worry about for now.”

Aizawa slightly relaxed. His friend smiled.

“Midoriya is seriously considering giving his classmates canned Noises in case of a repeat. Kayama told him to see with Nezu, but I have seen him with a handful scattered in the class. The smaller ones. Even though U.A. is safer…”

“The League of Villains managed to get in once. Can’t blame him.”

“Uh, right.”

After several moments, Aizawa sighed.

“I am in no state to teach, but I need to see them. Come with me?”

“Of course. As if I’d leave you alone in moments like these.”

“Right.” Aizawa gave a small smile. “Even back then, you didn’t leave me.”

They walked to Class 1-A together, not caring that people saw them holding hands. As Yamada had said, the class looked glum and several Noises were keeping watch from darker corners. It was irrational, of course, but since when was fear? You never thought straight when you were scared. Aizawa distracted himself by trying to identify the creatures.

‘_Green frog with blue legs… Dixiefrog? Yes, I think that’s it. He associated them with Asui, if I remember. Purple bird with blue… Nefastraven or Decadraven? In any case, Raven Noise. Uh, he summoned an Ethnicat. And the last… Navy blue rabbit with white. Indie Rabbit. His personal favorite._’

Mina was the first to notice him.

“Sensei? Are you alright?”

“I’ve been worse… but I’ve been better too. You?”

His eyes pointedly fell on the Noises. Then the Ethnicat saw him and made a beeline for his arms. Aizawa barely managed to catch it. The Noise instantly nuzzled him. It took the Hero a moment to remember the creatures were sometimes used as substitutes for therapy pets. Not only that, as far as Izuku was concerned, Ethnicats were _his_ Noises. The creatures were subconsciously hardwired to obey him. Izuku summoned a Bluescat to replace it.

‘_Go ahead, keep it. You need the comfort._’

Bakugo gave a particularly threatening glare.

“If Heroes hadn’t already caught the Villain, we would have given the law the middle finger and gone after him ourselves. But you did, so we won’t have to.”

“I understand, but I would have still been disappointed. Maybe I would have expelled a few of you as a lesson.”

“Good thing the Pros did their job, then.” Hitoshi dryly said. “Saved us from doing it for them.”

In the end, Aizawa didn’t teach but he kept the Ethnicat for comfort. The next day, he was half-surprised to hear Nezu had allowed his class to use Noises, but only one can, and only within the school’s grounds. One good news was that his student had finally awoken. He decided to take his class along after school. All of them were worried, himself included. The receptionist was a bit surprised to see the whole group show. Aizawa shrugged.

“Since we were all concerned, we decided to come together. Also, this way, I can keep them in line.”

The corridor ended feeling a little cluttered, but it was a small price to pay to see their classmate if not sound, at least safe. Awate was also awake and looking at her son with clear anxiety. Mashirao rubbed the area right below his eyes.

“It itches.”

“I know, Kitten. It can’t be helped.”

The teen’s chest spasmed. Awate sighed.

“Tears ducts shredded. You can’t even cry properly.”

“Dad had it worse.”

“He nearly died, yes. But you… Your injuries are permanent.”

“I know. It was creepy when I woke up. I’ll have to get used to it.”

His tail was doing slow, careful sweeps at his side. Aizawa entered the room.

“Don’t worry, it’s me.”

“Sensei?”

“Yes. How do you feel?”

“Nervous. Not right. I… I lost my eyes. I don’t know what to do.”

Aizawa let the tail bump in his leg and put a hand on his student’s shoulder.

“You just got blinded. Give yourself time to get used to it. Also, your classmates are there. Do you want them in? Not all at once, of course.”

“Sure. Sato… and Iida, and Kirishima, too.” A faint blush crept on his face. “And Hagakure.”

Aizawa gestured and the four teens entered. The others made a point of lining on the wall to not bother the medical staff. In the room, the four teens made a point of speaking quietly to not disturb his still-sleeping father. In the end, their presence helped the tailed blonde. He and his mother were discharged two days later. Takeshi Ojiro was due a few days afterwards. A key question soon arose.

Did Mashirao want to stay in U.A?

After a traumatic event such as this, everyone would understand if he decided to quit. Mashirao was hesitant but for another reason: he wasn’t sure he could stay in the Hero Course with his disability. His parents made clear they would support him through whatever decision he took, so the teen talked about it with his classmates.

“I don’t see why not.” Tenya shrugged. “There are other Heroes out there with disabilities. You wouldn’t be the first.”

“Right.” Mina remembered. “Ectoplasm-sensei is missing his leg and uses a prosthesis instead.”

Izuku handed him a can of Rap Monkey.

“I gave them to everyone else, just to be safe. Monkeys are the only Noises with hands, so if you have issues whatsoever, you can summon one and order it around.”

Hagakure grabbed his hands.

“It’s totally doable. Remember all those stories about blind martial artists? Some date from before the appearance of Quirks. If they could do it back then, you can do it today. Besides, you got your tail to help you.”

“We are with you.” Kirishima smiled. “If you decide to stay, we’ll back you up all the way.”

The teen decided to stay. Nezu, having prepared for this occurrence, had school books in braille, along with other accommodations. That Ojiro didn’t know the writing system didn’t matter. His classmates all banded to help him learn. Hagakure decided to switch seat with Shoji to be closer to him. No one berated her when she read him the contents of the board. Class 1-B had heard the new pretty much the same day and similarly offered their support. Ojiro was a Hero Course student. He was one of them. Hero students had each-others’ back.

Bakugo glared at a Gen-Ed student that got bumped by Ojiro’s tail.

“Hey, watch where you’re pointing that!”

“Pipe down.” The explosive blonde retorted. “He sweeps his tail to spot anything coming behind him. Your fault for being in the way.”

The Gen-Ed student huffed.

“How is it a blind guy’s still in the Hero Course? It’s not like he can become a Hero without his eyes…”

Ojiro flinched. Students from Class 1-A and B alike started to vehemently protest. Pony Tsunotory smiled.

“Don’t listen to him. There are disabled Heroes out there. You wouldn’t be the first. And besides, you got us.”

Ojiro smiled back. Bakugo huffed.

“Hey, don’t treat him like he’s made of sugar because he’s not. He is a Hero student. Heroes are tough, and so is he. Show some respect.”

Everyone agreed. As class ended, Hagakure grabbed his hand.

“Hey, I heard about a cat café in Naruhata that had accommodations for Mutant Quirks. Wanna try it out?”

Ojiro perked up. Cats _and_ Mutant accommodations? Now, that was interesting!

“…Wait, are you trying to take me on a date?”

Hagakure kissed his cheek.

“Only if you want me to!”

Ojiro decided to come. Whether or not it would qualify as a date, he figured he would decide during the trip. As soon as Sunday rolled, his mother helped him pick a nice set of clothes and took him to the bus to Naruhata. Hagakure was waiting for him by the Marukane Department Store. Clad in a bright pink dress with thigh-high, pale blue stocking and white doll shoes, the girl was keeping her hair from her face with a blue headband that had a cute pink flower on the side. Not that Ojiro could see it. Hagakure knew. She just felt like dressing up for a special occasion. She was pleased to see her crush had done the same. He wasn’t in a three-piece suit, but he still looked good. His skinny jeans highlighted the muscles of his legs, just like his white V-neck tee-shirt highlighted the muscles of his stomach. He was wearing a yellow vest and white slip-ons, his hair and tail tuft neatly combed, and his empty eyes, now filled with ocular prosthesis, were covered by sunglasses.

“You look nice.” The girl grinned. “Got help?”

“Even with my eyesight, I would have been hard-pressed to find something to wear to go out with a girl. Mom helped.”

“Figured as much. How are they doing?”

“All good, now.”

“That’s great.”

They held hand as they walked to the café, Hagakure describing their surroundings to her crush. Once they reached the place, however, they were surprised to see familiar faces.

“Midoriya? Shinso, Kaminari and Jiro too! You’re here on dates?”

“They had cats.” Hitoshi said as he petted one of the felines. “And I got curious to see those Mutant accommodations. They’re impressive. The staff knows their job.”

Indeed, the chairs alone had high backrests with wide holes for back appendages. Ojiro could easily fit his tail, and Hagakure told him Hitoshi had his graffiti stinger out. Not only that, he and his friends had dressed nicely for the occasion. Rather than his usual hoodie and cargo pants, Izuku was wearing emerald green tissue pants and a lighter, almost lime-green shirt with a cute red graffiti heart on the left breast and red lightweight sneakers. Hitoshi, meanwhile, was wearing a purple gilet over a black long-sleeved shirt with a silver cat head on the chest, his legs clad in purple and blue tartan-patterned capri pants and his feet in black slip-ons.

Denki and Kyoka were at a separate table. The electric blonde was wearing tight high-waisted jeans with stylish black and white sneakers. A denim jacket covered a yellow and black shirt. Kyoka, meanwhile, was wearing a short, dark pink skirt over black thighs and equally black go-go boots. Her chest was covered by a black crop-top with a pink treble clef on the heart, set over a lighter pink mid-sleeved shirt. All in all, all six teenagers looked nice.

They weren’t the only teens who had picked the café for a date. There was another couple made of two boys, one with spiky orange hair and wearing a purple and black top with white shorts and big purple headphones, while his partner had a mop of grey hair, a similarly grey vest and darker pants. Finally, two adult men were sitting at a nearby table, a handsome blonde with long hair tied in a loose bun and wearing a red leather jacket with beige pants and thin-rimmed glasses, while the other had shoulder-length black hair and a dark purple polo neck with black pants and black derby shoes. He had a fluffy cat in his arms that he was petting fondly. His partner gave him a loving look. It was clear he was smitten.

Everyone was having a good time enjoying coffee, snacks and cats. The spiky redhead inhaled deeply. His boyfriend looked at him.

“Are you alright, Neku?”

“I’m fine, Josh. The people are happy. It is pleasant.”

Joshua held his hands.

“If it feels overwhelming, focus on me. You always say you feel my emotions more keenly than others. That’s why I’m your anchor.”

“I know.” Neku smiled and sipped his drink.

He loved his boyfriend dearly. A shame his parents didn’t agree. His hand wandered to the cat on his lap.

“It’s a nice change from Hanekoma’s place.”

Joshua smiled. Meanwhile, Denki had finished writing something for Kyoka and was showing it to her. As soon as she was done reading, the girl shook her head.

“Idiot.” Then she grabbed him and kissed him. “I love you too.”

Indeed, on the paper were the lyrics of a song.

_Feel the people hear the voices_   
_They are reaching out to catch you_   
_Feel the rhythms hear the noises_   
_You are beating all the visions_   
_Is it angels is it devils whispering in my ears_   
_Is it emotions is it illusions_   
_I need to be with you_

Izuku watched them as he played with Hitoshi’s fingers. The purple teen played along, a huge smile on his face. The two teens didn’t say a word, simply relishing in the other’s company. Izuku hesitated a moment before leaving his seat to hug Hitoshi from behind, his head on his. Hitoshi made a purring noise.

Ojiro’s tail wagged nervously as he raised a hand to Hagakure’s face. He hesitated, as if asking for permission. The girl understood. She took his hand and her it caress his face. A smile grew on the tailed teen’s face.

“I see you.”

“I’m invisible.” Hagakure chuckled. “You can’t even see me with eyes!”

“Good thing I lost mine, then. Do you mind?”

“Not the slightest.”

She let him caress her, his fingers outlining her face and letting him perceive her in a way no one else could, not without her approval. At the nearby table, the two adults were chatting happily.

“It’s been way too long since we did one of these. I missed it.”

“With everything going at school, we were all due a break. Also, I’ll take these kinds of going-outs over Nemuri’s evening parties anytime.”

“Yeah, sweet drinks and kittens are more your style.”

Ojiro’s tail flicked.

“Wait, I know these voices… Sensei, is that you?”

The two adults froze. Hagakure and the other four teens turned to the pair. The black-haired man tried to hide his face.

“Nope.”

The blonde man also looked tense. Ojiro turned to them.

“I recognize your voice. Aizawa and Yamada-sensei, you’re also on a date?”

Hagakure looked at him and her teachers in quick succession.

“Wait, are you saying it’s them!? Wow… I didn’t even recognize them! They look completely different!”

“I agree.” Hitoshi smiled, impressed. “We never see them outside their Hero outfit so we have no idea what they’re like as civilians. You look… good. Especially you, Sensei. You usually look slovenly in class. To see you cleaned up like that is nice.”

Aizawa blushed up to his hairline. Yamada was also blushing, but not as hard, and there was an awkward smile on his face. Izuku grinned.

“Looking good, Sensei! You should clean up more often!”

Kyoka whistled appreciatively. Denki laughed.

“Not a ten but you definitely got the looks! Neat!”

Aizawa buried his face in the menu to hide his embarrassment. His lover chuckled.

“Told you.”

“Pipe down, Hiza.”

Yamada shook his head.

“Oh, no. I mean, even the kids agree you look fine. You should definitely do it more often.”

“I don’t have the time to do that every morning. What’s the point, besides? Since when are my looks a factor in my job?”

Hitoshi had never thought he’d see the day Eraserhead – cold, dour, razor-sharp-focus Eraserhead – look flustered. And yet, his homeroom teacher was dying of embarrassment as his students praised him. And his lover was having the time of his life.

“Looks like you can kiss your image goodbye, Sho. The kids have seen your softer face, and they aren’t about to forget it!”

Aizawa groaned. Kyoka sipped her drink.

“If someone had told me Aizawa-sensei could look beautiful one day, I would have called them a liar. But what do you know? Miracles happen.”

Ojiro tilted his head.

“Beautiful? Not handsome?”

Denki snickered.

“Sensei doesn’t look manly enough to qualify as handsome.”

Dead silence. Everyone turned to him. Aizawa slowly rose from his seat, eyes a faint red. Neku sensed the man’s anger and beat a hasty retreat behind Joshua. Hitoshi closed his eyes.

“RIP: Denki Kaminari.”

“Nice knowing you, Firefly.”

Kyoka sighed.

“You moron.”

Ojiro and Hagakure shared a look.

“Denki is done for.”

The blonde didn’t seem worried, though.

“What? I’m just stating facts: Sensei is more pretty than manly. Besides, we’re all as civilians and he can’t beat my ass. What is he gonna do? Give me more detention?”

“Try me, brat.”

The argument was stopped by Neku turning to the street and frowning.

“Trouble incoming. Hostile. This way.”

Everyone tensed. Indeed, the two teachers spotted a man surrounded by tendrils of energy walking angrily toward the café. Aizawa turned to him and decided he was a bigger concern than his mouthy student. He walked toward him and cracked his knuckles, Yamada one step behind. The memory of Ojiro’s injury was still fresh in his head. He wasn’t about to allow for a repeat.

The man noticed the teacher’s murderous glare. His Quirk faltered, but it wasn’t due to Erasure. Aizawa crossed his arms.

“I don’t know why you’re out to hurt the people at the café and I don’t care. Six of my students are having fun and one of them was recently injured. I’m still raw about it, as well as _passably irritated_ about one of their comments and the fact _someone_ is attempting to interrupt what was, so far, a great date. Turn away and leave before I hand you to the police.”

“And… who may you be, exactly?” The man gulped. “You don’t look like Heroes.”

“Even Heroes need some time off.” Aizawa retorted while showing him his card.

Yamada showed his. The man took one solid look at the pair before turning on his heels and briskly walking away. Aizawa took a long breath.

“Way to ruin the mood.”

Yamada held his hand.

“Let’s pay for the drinks and wander around.”

“Good idea.”

The teenagers decided to do the same and went their separate ways, all of them holding hands with their dates. As Izuku and Hitoshi wandered Shibuya, they passed a backstreet with some impressive graffiti murals. The pair took the time to admire. One prominent pattern was a black car head with an inverted star for eye and bat wings on the sides, white gloves making a _Rock You_ gesture. After hesitating a moment, Izuku put a hand on a free spot on the wall and let static flow. A stylish skull with skeletal wings appeared on the wall, eight colored strings woven over it.

Hitoshi nodded appreciatively. When they had time, they would come back to make the artwork more permanent.

* * *

No offscreen romance for you guys. Any official and steady couple in that story is going to be _shown_ being in love and having fun together, so long as it doesn't disturb the flow of the story.

Also, I thought having a blind guy date an invisible girl was sweet for the two of them. As Hagakure said, it's not like you need eyes to see her ! And Ojiro is going to earn more badass points for being a strong Hero despite his blindness. Handicap? What's that? 


	27. The aesthetics of technology

Izuku counted himself extremely lucky that his not-Dad-yet had obtained tickets to I-Island early in the summer break. Normally, those tickets were for family, but Inko and Toshinori were engaged, and this after several years of dating. As far as everyone was concerned, the scrawny man was already family.

The teen watched his surrogate father sleep. Given the smile on his face, it was pleasant. Inko would join later to avoid drawing attention. All Might was a Hero with many enemies and, since he would spend all his time as the Symbol of Peace, seeing the woman at his side would put a target on her back. Izuku knew what he could do and how far he would go if pushed, and hurting his mother would definitely bring out his nastier side. For everyone’s sake, Inko had agreed to wait.

The artificial island loomed through the window. Izuku gently nudged Toshinori.

“Dad? Dad, we’re there.”

Toshinori grunted, blinked twice and turned to his soon-to-be son. The smile on his face grew.

“You called me Dad. I’m still getting used to it.”

“But you like it, don’t you?”

“I very much do, Son.”

Izuku beamed. Soon, the pair was in their costume and through the customs. Izuku considered summoning a Noise. Toshinori held him until they were through. As soon as they were out, though, the teen summoned an Indie Rabbit and a Jazz Rabbit. The Indie Rabbit stayed to his side. The Jazz Rabbit jumped on All Might’s shoulders. If Ethnicats were Aizawa’s Noises, Jazz Rabbits were All Might’s partners. Not that he needed them, especially when transformed, but all of Izuku’s family and friends had partners. There would be no exception.

They were wondering where the hotel was when a reporter noticed it. She warned the crowd. The crowd mobbed All Might. Izuku was caught in the sea of bodies. Shaken as he was, he didn’t notice a melody overtaking his mind, the song covering Graffiti Heart until it blocked it altogether. Izuku barely minded it, an afterthought that something in his head sounded red. He slipped through the crowd, moving among them as if he wasn’t there. They didn’t notice him as he stepped at a reasonable distance.

After a fair amount of time, All Might dragged himself out. Izuku found it rather funny that his face was covered with lipstick.

“Don’t let Mom see you like that, she’ll get jealous.”

All Might looked around several times. Izuku raised a brow.

“Dad?”

Graffiti Heart rang in his head. All Might finally saw him.

“Ah, my boy! I thought I’d lost you.”

“I was right there. And you should remove that lipstick before Mom sees it and gets jealous.”

All Might shuddered and quickly cleaned his face.

“There are less painful ways to die. Now, let’s hurry before we’re late. There is someone I would like to meet, an old friend from the States. Before you ask, he doesn’t know about One for All.”

“Uh. Alright, I’ll keep quiet.”

They had started walking when a blonde girl on a pogo stick appeared and jumped in the Symbol’s arms.

“Uncle Might!”

“Ah, Melissa!”

She was busty, with thin frames on her eyes, a red and white top with a big checkered bow, pale grey pants and angle-high brown boots. Izuku didn’t miss the familiarity with which his surrogate father greeted the girl. Not only that, she was the one who had invited them. The teen offhandedly wondered if, since she called All Might her uncle, he could consider her a part of the family. The Hero smiled.

“Melissa, this is my precious student, Izuku Midoriya. Young Midoriya, this my old friend’s daughter, Melissa Shield.”

Izuku smiled, the Indie Rabbit in his arms.

“Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too – Hey, cute! What kind of creature is that? It looks like a bunny but it’s partially made of graffiti… and Uncle Might has one, but the colors are different! Where did you get it?”

“It’s my Quirk.” Izuku explained. “Graffiti Heart lets me change the cacophony in my head into color. From there, I can do a lot of things… enough that I have a whole notebook about it. I don’t think I figured out every subtlety yet.”

“Oh!”

“Yes, seriously. But, since you ask about the rabbits, they are Noises, what I get when I take notes to make a melody and manifest it.”

He started humming One More Time as static danced on his arm. A white penguin with gradient red graffiti wings and talons emerged in a flash.

“This is an Electro Popguin. The Noise in my arms is an Indie Rabbit and the one on All Might’s shoulders is a Jazz Rabbit.”

Melissa raised a brow.

“Wait, Electro, Indie and Jazz. Those are music genres. The melodies you use have to be a specific music for you to make Noises!”

“Yep. Base sounds will just give me color. Different music genres will make different Noises. I have… about one hundred and fifteen Noises in all.”

Melissa whistled.

“This is cool! What else can you do?”

Izuku laughed.

“Best that I simply give you the notebook. It will be quicker.”

“That bad?”

“That bad.”

He handed her the notebook. Melissa read it as she guided them through the research complex, all the way to a room that was almost completely empty. The man she called had messy brown hair and black glasses, and was wearing grey pants with a darker shirt. Izuku held a chuckle as All Might introduced himself in his usual bombastic way. He let them reunite. Professor David Shield was a former sidekick of All Might back when he was in the States, being the one who had designed everyone of his costumes. The man was famous, having even won a Nobel Prize.

“It is an honor to meet you, Sir. Da – I mean, All Might looks like he really missed you.”

David raised a brow.

“Is it me or did you almost call him Dad?”

Busted. Izuku blushed to his hairline, and even All Might seemed suddenly embarrassed. Fortunately, Izuku was a quick thinker.

“Oh, yeah, right. My father is never there so, since All Might took me as his student, he kinda, sorta replaced him as my parental figure. It’s nothing.”

‘_**Nothing**, my rear end._’ All Might thought. ‘_Still, nice save, Son._’

The professor smiled.

“Ah. Put it like that, it’s alright, then. I can’t say I disapprove. For all his bulk, All Might is a real cuddle bug. A shame his hugs can break your back.”

All Might almost coughed blood.

“David!”

The professor laughed.

“Now, if you don’t mind, my old friend and I need to catch up in private. Melissa, could you show Midoriya around the I-Expo?”

“Sure thing, Dad.”

And so, they wandered the exposition, the Popguin and Rabbit at their side. Melissa showed him around, and Izuku let himself be carried by the sounds and colors around him. It was beautiful. It was wonderful. The ambiance was one of joy and wonder, and it felt great. She took him through a building where support items, from gadgets to vehicles, were displayed. They shared their passions, Melissa shamelessly admitting her Quirklessness while telling him of her dream to become an inventor like her father. Izuku also wanted to become a hero. He shared with her his past hardships, the Aldera Incident and the Sludge Villain, and the discrimination he and Hitoshi faced.

_What was worse?_ Melissa caught herself wondering. _To have an evil Quirk, or to have no Quirk at all?_

A pair of arms embraced Izuku from behind. The teen froze. The next second, a Bluescat appeared in a burst of static. Then he turned and hugged Hitoshi right back, burying his head in his chest.

“You came?”

“Aizawa-sensei and I were invited. You?”

“Friend of Dad.”

He took Hitoshi’s face and tenderly joined their foreheads, even letting their noses touch. Melissa blinked as she watched the pair.

“…Wait. Izuku, you like men?”

“Not specifically. I like flat chests, and I’ll fall in love only with people I deeply care for. Hitoshi is attracted and will fall in love with people he cares for, namely: me. We’re dating.”

Melissa looked at her generous bust and winced. Then she noticed the trio walking to them.

“Uh, more Hero students?”

Izuku turned and beamed.

“Denki, Kyoka and Momo! What are you doing there?”

“I was invited since my family has investments in some of those inventions, and I had two spare tickets so I decided to invite Denki and Kyoka since I knew you would be there.”

“Great!”

Melissa didn’t miss how Denki and Kyoka were holding hands, nor did she miss the familiarity with which they interacted with Izuku and Hitoshi.

“They have known each other since before U.A.” Momo explained. “Aizawa-sensei calls them the Fearsome Foursome because of their habit of getting in trouble… and their general habit of causing mayhem. I don’t think the U.A. staff will ever forgive Kyoka for playing _It’s a Small World_ during the Stealth Recovery Exam.”

“Uh? What happened?”

As they headed to one of the cafés, Momo filled the girl in on the absolute clusterfuck that had been the Stealth Recovery Exam. They had to stop several times because Melissa was having a laughing fit.

“Two attempts involved tampering with food. Two groups straight out stole the safe. Two teams switched targets. Two distractions involved music – and Monoma actually _rick-rolled_ the staff. Mineta got himself deliberately injured to have a reason to see Recovery Girl. Tokoyami had All Might pet Dark Shadow while Kuroiro pickpocketed him. Todoroki and Bakugo bribed Hagakure. And, sometimes, everyone acted at once. Four teams passed on the first day alone. Hitoshi actually Brainwashed Mic-sensei, and he and Izuku were the first to retrieve their item.”

Melissa held her sides and laughed helplessly.

“…Out of curiosity, why did they give you this assignment instead of, say, fighting other Pros?”

“According to Principal Nezu, Pros must be able to outthink their opponent as much as they can outfight them. Thus, a test of the mind.”

“You don’t say! I don’t think I laughed so much in my life! Some of you got creative!”

The six teens turned to see Tensei and Tenya walk to them. The two brothers sat at a nearby table.

“Amelia made a blooper reel that you can only see if you go to U.A.” Tensei explained. “When Tenya told me about the Exam, I went to watch the video. I had to stop several times because I was too busy laughing.”

“You too?”

“Definitely. I wish they did that for one of my exams. It’s a cool change.”

Explosions echoed from afar. Kyoka turned to the source.

“A fight? Or is something…”

“In that direction, it must be Villain Attacks. It’s a battle attraction where you have to defeat robots in the shortest amount of time possible.” Melisssa explained.

The group shared a look.

“Let’s try.”

There were familiar faces when they reached the place. Kirishima had just finished clearing the attraction in twenty-three seconds. Tetsutetsu cheered his brother. Bakugo went next. It took him fifteen seconds to destroy the machines. The announcer was awed. Izuku smiled.

“Yeah, he’s good. One of the best of our class.”

Melissa shuddered.

“He feels scary. Dangerous. And what happened to his nose? It looks crooked. Did no one heal it?”

Everyone turned to Izuku, who shrank in his spot.

“That… This part was my doing. That was before he cleaned up his act and became, well, nicer.”

“Bakugo sent me to Recovery Girl” Denki explained. “Izuku was so furious he punched him to unconsciousness without using his Quirk. It was so out of character everyone was terrified.”

“Bakugo decided to keep his nose crooked as a reminder of the event.” Hitoshi reminisced. “Even the kindest of us have their limits. Seeing Izuku reach it is the last thing you want – and hurting us is the quickest way to get there.”It took a moment for Melissa to remember Izuku’s notes on Threshold Moves.

“The threshold isn’t a question of power.” She realized. “It’s a question of situation.”

Bakugo noticed the group and raised a brow.

“Uh, you guys are there? Wanna try it too?”

“That was the idea.” Izuku smirked as he morphed his limbs.

He jumped in, waited to be announced, then dashed at the robots. It took him all of ten seconds to get rid of them, one second per robot. The crowd cheered as he walked away. Bakugo shrugged.

“Yeah, not surprised.”

Denki was about to jump in when someone else beat him to it.

“Uh, Todoroki’s there too?”

“Yes, most likely due to his ties with Endeavor.” Momo noted.

Todoroki blew his hand, then encased the whole place in a glacier he dutifully melted afterwards. His result was nine seconds. Bakugo blinked.

“Todoroki actually beat Midoriya? Seriously?”

“Looks like.”

Denki scoffed.

“Bet you I can beat his record. Actually, I bet all of you I can beat the whole attraction in less than five seconds.”

Kyoka rolled her eyes.

“And you’re going to do this how, exactly?”

The blonde merely chuckled. Melissa was curious. Bakugo crossed his arms.

“You’re on, Kaminari. If you win, drinks are on me.”

“Deal.” The electric blonde grinned before stepping in the field.

He walked toward the robots. The announcer called the start. The next second, the air was saturated with lightning. When it died down, Denki winced at the sight of his battery.

“Chock full. I’ll have to empty it before using Indiscriminate Discharge again.”

The announcer looed at the score once. Twice.

“…Four seconds. Every other scores have been blown away.”

Bakugo, Todotoki and everyone else except Izuku, Hitoshi and Kyoka was stunned. The girl rolled her eyes.

“Show off.”

Melissa turned to the group.

“You’re all like that, or…”

“Nah.” Hitoshi reassured. “The four of us are just a very particular brand of what-the-fuck. The others are merely *lively*.”

They spent the rest of the day going from attraction to attraction. Apparently, Bakugo was there courtesy of Best Jeanist, who had been invited and had decided to take him along. Bakugo had asked for two more tickets so Eijiro and his brother could join. The manly antics of the pair amused Melissa, who decided to be daring and touched Tetsutetsu’s metallic abs. The steel-skinned teen preened, and even flirted a little. Eijiro gave him a look.

“Seriously, Bro?”

“Midnight-sensei said we could pull it off if we trained. So, I’m training.”

Eijiro rolled his eyes. As dusk fell, the group agreed to meet at six and a half that evening for the party. Izuku sighed.

“Good thing Graffiti Heart lets me alter my clothes, because I have no formal clothing whatsoever. This kind of reception is simply not something people like me attend.”

“Yeah, you and your friends all have that urban flair about you.” Melissa grinned. “You are all themed after street culture. This isn’t something galas and the likes are part of.”

“I felt like I was sticking out.” Hitoshi winced. “It may be my costume, but the style doesn’t fit the kind of place I-Island is.”

Melissa nodded and took them to her place at the Academy. The studio was slightly cramped with five people in, but the girl still managed to get a box. There were white pins inside.

“I don’t know much about street culture, but I know pins are part of it, especially the more colorful ones. If you can alter them like you alter clothes, it may add to your style.”

Izuku’s eyes shone. His hand in Hitoshi’s, he picked one.

A melody started playing, but it didn’t come from his head. The teen perked and looked around. Eventually, his eyes fell on his boyfriend. The teen froze.

“What is that?”

He removed his hand. The sound died. He held his hand and dropped the pin. No sound. He held Hitoshi’s hand and the pin. The sound was there.

“Graffiti Heart is reacting. What is it gonna do, this time?”

The four others were all curious. Izuku focused on the melody coming from Hitoshi and let it flow. Static focused on the pin, altering it until it featured manacles over brains on a purple background. Melissa held it.

“The design is nice. But, since it comes from your friend, I doubt it is purely decorative.”

“Put it on, then. Pins are for decorating clothes.”

Melissa complied and stuck the pin on her shirt. Her eyes widened.

“I hear something! It is… very faint. Barely audible, enough that I could forget it if I didn’t pay attention. But it’s there.”

Hitoshi frowned.

“My Quirk lets me brainwash anyone who answered to me. First, get someone to answer you.”

Melissa nodded and turned to Kyoka.

“Kyoka?”

“Yes?”

The blonde teen felt it. There was a connection between the two girls. Melissa activated it.

“_Sit on the bed._”

Kyoka’s eyes went blank. She complied without a word. Hitoshi pinched her. Kyoka snapped.

“It… It worked? You could use Hitoshi’s Brainwashing!”

The group looked at the pin in awe.

“…A pin that copies others’ Quirks. I can use pins to copy other people’s Quirks.”

Izuku sat on the bed, taking a moment to assimilate the new ability. Hitoshi held the pin.

“Graffiti Heart is incredibly versatile. There are days I wonder what it _can’t_ do. In any case, as soon as Aizawa-sensei and Principal Nezu hear about it, they will put it under the same rule as canned Noises. I just know it.”

“Yeah, they’re gonna do that.” Kyoka agreed. “Still, the fact is that someone wearing a Quirk pin could use its ability alongside their own Quirk. I wonder if there is a limit to how much you can use at once… Also, with the right combination, one could be pretty much unstoppable. Kinda like Monoma, but even worse.”

“So much worse.” Denki grinned. “Copy mine next!”

Izuku agreed, taking a pin and Denki’s hand. The pin’s picture was a Noise surrounded by an electric halo. Kyoka put it on and shuddered as an aura of electricity cloaked her.

“Yep, Thunder Aura. Let’s see mine next.”

Izuku held her hand and a pin. This time, the picture showed a pair of sound-blasting jacks. Melissa put it on and gasped as neon pink graffiti jacks materialized on her ears. It took her some practice to get them under control.

“And Mutant Quirks manifest as graffiti enhancements. I wondered if it would work.”

Izuku held the three pins, thoughtful.

“I’d like to talk with Toshi-san and Aizawa-sensei before experimenting any further. The ability to copy Quirks on pins and give them to anyone is dangerous. I’d like to know what they think about it.”

“Good idea.” Hitoshi agreed. “Speaking of, we should hurry. We’re gonna be late to the party.”

Izuku shrugged and merely altered his outfit, then did the same with Hitoshi and Denki. Kyoka and Melissa had to change the old-fashioned way since none of them were wearing a dress. The blonde girl let Izuku keep the bag of pins. This way, if he met either of his teachers, he could show them.

As soon as all of them were ready, they gathered at the building, unaware that a different kind of party was about to begin.


End file.
